


The Magic of the Night

by Nqli



Series: Another Kind of Magic [1]
Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: ...briefly, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, An extreme battle of wills, Awkward Conversations, Confessions, Confrontations, Dangerous encounters, Dream Sex, Embarrassing Situations, Exposition dumps are hard, F/M, Fantasy, I like making everyone blush, If you're squeamish you should probably read with care, Junimos, Magic, Male Masturbation, Of the sexy kind, Oh look, Pacts, Slow Build, Slow Burn, The Wonderful Wizard of Ras, and more naughty dreams too, and then not so briefly, but hey, but it might get your hackles up, dont worry I dont intend to kill anyone, if enough people ask for it, more Junimos, more exposition, on both ends, please don't try this at home, someday I might write about the wrong decision, that should be all the major answers now, the mines are dangerous guys, they're still hard, trust shenanigans, unintentional spying, yep
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-18 09:07:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 54
Words: 108,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29487231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nqli/pseuds/Nqli
Summary: Liliana, for all her young life, has been trapped in the city alongside her peers until she comes of age. Thrust out on her own with no time to prepare, she makes her way to the magical Stardew Valley to recover, where she meets someone... unexpected. How did he manage to escape the entrapment of the rest of their kind?By necessity, this will be a slow relationship, as her presence causes him physical pain. But it doesn't help when he can't stay away either...
Relationships: Linus & Player (Stardew Valley), Sebastian/Female Player (Stardew Valley), Sebastian/Player (Stardew Valley), Wizard | M. Rasmodius & Player
Series: Another Kind of Magic [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2181375
Comments: 72
Kudos: 63





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've never written a fanfiction before. I welcome all criticism. 
> 
> I have a general outline of where this goes, and hope I can work on it as much as I want to. Please feel free to comment whatever comes to mind, be that questions, theories, reviews, or flames. Well, preferably not flames. My new writer's ego might not take that well. Be kind, OK?
> 
> Enjoy the fic.

You solemnly enter the room, watching your dear Grandfather lay gasping on his deathbed. You are the last to say goodbye, and it shows - he is exhausted. But, it was his request. He waves you forward with a weak, limp hand, and you approach and grab it firmly. Perhaps if you grip hard enough, he simply won't go?

He lays his other hand weakly on top of yours as you stand there. You can't bear to look at him, eyes trained instead to your grasped hands and fighting back tears. He gives a slight cough, then abruptly pulls away, startling you into glancing at his face. He smiles back, then reaches to shakily hand you a letter.

"My dear, this gift is for you. You come of age soon; inside is a place you can go to recover. I hope you make it your own. It will not open itself until the time is right- what's life without a little mystery, eh?" He smiles weakly at you, head resting heavily back against his pillow.

You bite your lip and try to smile back at him, but fail. You take the envelope and carefully place it against your heart. You understand how significant this gift is; not everyone has a place to go during those chaotic times, and you know your Grandfather wouldn't send you somewhere dangerous. Relief shudders through you, one weight lifting off your shoulders as another settles in its place. His breaths grow weaker, his grip lightens, his eyes close. They open again, just a sliver, and he smiles at you.

"I love you, my dear. It's time for me to go now. I'll see you in the next world, alright?"

You nod your head quickly, biting harder on your lip and the pain grounds you, and you force yourself to watch as his life fades from his eyes. He gives one last breath, and it swirls around you in a kaleidoscope of colors. You watch, amazed, as his life force flows upward and dissipates into the air. Electricity runs up your spine and you feel just a tiny bit of that age-old soul settle on your skin, granting you its power.

You finally give a true, small smile, as you begin to realize that maybe your Grandfather hasn't left you, after all. You turn and leave his empty husk behind.


	2. Chapter 2

Not for the first time, you ask yourself why you _must_ come work at such a _mundane_ place like Joja Corp. All around you sat your peers, looking just as depressed as you to be there, but having no other option but to keep plugging away at their keyboards. You swear even the skeleton at the desk in front of you looked like it wanted to die. You huff in sympathy.

“You alright there, Lily?” asked a voice from just outside your cubicle. You jump and find yourself face-to-face with your direct supervisor, Morris. You quickly put on your best ‘I’m fine’ face and turn to assure him you were in tip-top shape.

“Yes, Morris! Just got distracted for a moment there, but I’m feeling perfectly fine!”

“Glad to hear. Back to work then, yes? We all have to earn a paycheck at the end of the day. I’ll need your report within the hour.” Morris turned and started walking away, face already twisting into a grimace. You wince too- meeting the bigwigs is never a fun job. You get back to cracking at that report, melancholic thoughts temporarily banished from your mind.

\----------------

As you step outside the building you take a deep breath of air, then release it all at once as tension eases out of your body. Tilting your head back, you admire the pink sky and lazily drifting clouds for a moment. Finally, the work day was over.

You yawn and rub the back of your neck as you make your way out of the stream of colleagues slowly swarming around you to get out, to get _away_. Even Joja, with it's _thriving_ productivity, couldn't beat how terrible it was to be here. You trudge along until you're at the edge of a park. You’re more tired than normal, but you attribute that to the unusually large amount of work you had to get done today. Another deep breath - that can never get quite deep enough - and you sigh before plopping down on a nearby bench to rest. What to do, what to do…

You sit there for a while, just watching the world go by. The numerous other subadults listlessly wandering around; the smaller children playing under the watchful gaze of the few adults nearby; the sky as it darkens into a shimmering purple color. You briefly glance at the smoldering peaks in the distance, calming as always in their constancy.

The ennui lulls you to sleep.

\----------------

You jerk awake with a cry, a sharp stabbing pain in your chest. You hunch over, clawing at the area over your heart, and take deep gasping breaths. Sweat starts to trickle down your face and a whine rips itself out of your throat- by the Seed, it _hurt!!_

You draw the attention of the few others near you with your movements. Most stare in confusion - _What’s up with her?_ \- before one of the adults quickly appears at your side. A worried expression on their face quickly turns to alarm, before they tightly grasp your upper arm and haul you bodily to your feet. You can barely stand, and are only upright thanks to their support.

“Come, quickly! You must away!” they whisper to you under their breath, half-leading half-dragging you behind them to the platform nearby. The other adults distract the younger children with a show of light and color, but the subadults are staring at you with understanding dawning in their eyes. Some turn their heads away, unable to bear the sight of your pain - of their pain in the future. Others stare at you with envy.

You’re unceremoniously shoved onto the platform as the coldness starts taking over your chest, numbing the pain just a bit. They key in a command to the console nearby as they speak to you, but you can’t hear what they’re saying anymore. Your head is full of cotton, your ears full of pounding blood. Your sight goes dark as you fall into the abyss.

\----------------

You come to again under the care of the medical team at the main city transportation platform. They, thankfully, have decades of experience handling what ails you now- even if it happens so rarely, they’ve been around long enough to move swiftly through the process. One adult, an elderly female, has their hands on your chest and stomach, pouring warmth into the cold abyss that has taken over your body. Another adult, a slightly younger male, waits just behind her, ready to take over if she becomes exhausted. 

The second adult medic notices you wake and quickly asks if you have a preference where you go? The platform hums loudly as it charges, drawing energy from the surroundings and making you even colder.

It’s all you can do to blink your eyes and slowly reach into your backpack and pull out that old letter your Grandfather gave you all those years ago. Just as you thought it would, the letter opens easily under your hands this time. You smile gratefully at the memory as you read your destination for the first time. You gasp out the first line - Zuzu City, Ferngill - and a flurry of activity breaks out at the large console as the humming gets almost unbearably loud. Somehow, you find yourself moved to the center of that humming, and the warmth fades as your caretaker retreats.

The purple sky turns into a bright, vibrant blue.

\----------------

The first thing you notice is that you can suddenly _breathe_. You gasp in breath after breath, filling your lungs with that suddenly smoggy city air. It’s slightly denser here than back home, and you feel the cold in your chest recede a bit more.

The adults here seem almost surprised to see you, though you can’t imagine why- the platforms always signal when someone is about to come through. Perhaps they just didn't get many visitors? They grimace, then harden their faces and approach. You’re already slowly sitting up, but welcome their help anyway getting to your feet.

“Do you know where you’re going?” One of them asks, letting go of you as soon as he can.

You nod, continuing to take deep breaths, feeling better all the while. The cold void near your heart isn’t gone, but it’s… subdued, for now.

The adults quickly step away once you’ve gotten the hang of standing again. Being near you now is painful, you know, but you’re grateful for their help all the more. You smile and nod at them in understanding as they stand a good distance away. They nod back, and point you the way to the populated city nearby, with directions to the nearest bus depot. They wish you good luck, and remind you _to_ _not get caught._

You’ll certainly do your best not to. After all, you’re finally _free_.


	3. Chapter 3

It was a bit of an… experience… suddenly getting the hang of the city. While you theoretically knew how to navigate, and you had your mental map showing you where to go, being surrounded by _so many people_ was a bit disorientating. It was almost suffocating in its own right.

Taking a break under an alcove, you watch the people rush about their lives to and fro, in stark contrast to your own previous sedentary existence. Where are they all running to? Don’t they know how to slow down? You see no point to their rush. What will come, will come, and there’s nothing to do but wait for it. You scoff; you’re very familiar with the feeling of ‘hurry up and wait’.

Rain starts to sprinkle onto the pavement surrounding your hiding place, and the people run faster. You stick one hand out and catch a drop on your palm, grin as you pull it back and admire its sparkle. You bring it to your lips, feel it’s rejuvenating presence in your soul. You step out into the quickly-intensifying storm and make your way into the heart of the city.

\----------------

You find yourself before the bus that will take you to your new home, Pelican Town. Having no phone - it being stupidly left on your desk at Joja, thinking you'd be back tomorrow - and no way of looking up how to contact this ‘Lewis’ mentioned in your Grandfather’s letter, you decide all you can do is show up and hope for the best. 

Boarding the bus to nowhere with no belongings except your clothes and your backpack, you’re sure you look a sight, but find yourself the only passenger. Small miracles, you suppose.

The bus takes off right on time, and you’re still the only one aboard. Guess you’ll somehow need to pass the next 4 hours of your life with no entertainment whatsoever.

Ha, as if that’s something new.

\----------------

You did end up distracting yourself for a good while by seeing what shapes you could make out of the rain on the window. It was both much harder and much easier than you remember it being- the perks of growing up. You grin again; finally, _finally_ you’re getting somewhere in life. You can’t wait to arrive at your new home. As you get closer and closer to the valley you breathe easier and easier. A quality place to recover, indeed.

Spying a sign announcing your imminent arrival, you gather your one meager belonging and ring the bell for the bus to stop. You’re already at the door by the time the bus halts, and dash out into the rain again as soon as it opens. The bus driver merely shakes their head at you, and drives away.

For the first time in your life, you are at ease. Standing under the pouring rain in this lush valley, the air so clean and clear, the life near _vibrating_ all around you… all your years and years of tension, of _not enough_ , wash away. If a little bit of salt washes away from your cheeks as well... well, who would know?

\----------------

You’re rather happy you found an old signpost near the bus stop that directed you to town, because you’d suddenly realized you had no idea where you were. Sadly, it seemed the majority of the town were hiding in their homes due to the rain, so it seemed your journey may come to naught. You wander over to the only building in town that was open, a Saloon, with the hopes of renting a room for the night.

It’s still early when you arrive, only about 5pm, but already there were a few customers. An older lady with blonde curly hair on your left, loudly requesting another pint, and a surly-looking young man to your right who looked briefly interested at you before returning to glaring into his beer.

You approach the large, rosy-cheeked man in front of the register before you and dip into a small curtsy as you introduce yourself, “Hello, my name is Lily. Are you by chance renting any rooms this evening? I just arrived, and have yet to find where my new home is located.”

“Hello Lily, nice to meet you! I’m Gus, the owner of this Stardrop Saloon. I hadn’t heard of any houses up for sale recently… are you sure you’re in the right place?” The man frowned and looked her over. “We do have a room for rent... but it’s still early enough, maybe we can send you on your way to the correct town? Better than spending gold here when you already have a place to sleep.” He grinned and laughed at himself.

Turning away a customer, just out of concern? You could tell he was a sweet guy. You grin back at his jolly demeanor and say, “Pelican Town, right? I’m sure I got off at the right stop! Perhaps you can tell me if a man named Lewis is still around? He was a friend of my Grandpa, and I’ve come to take over his old farm.”

“Ah? Truly? Well, that’s wonderful news! We haven’t had a new farmer in… gosh, twenty years now, isn’t it? I’m so glad someone is taking over that old land!” He genuinely sounded delighted, bursting out laughter after he spoke with the widest grin on his face. “Old Lewis will be here in a bit, he always shows up for a drink around this time. I’ll point him out to you! In the meantime, why don’t you introduce yourself? If you’re to live here, you’ll need to meet the neighbors eventually!”

You nod and smile, happily turning away from the bar owner to greet the woman to your left. She just grins back at you and salutes with her glass before focusing on downing the rest of it. You suppose you’ll catch her name later. Instead, you turn toward the surly man to your right.

“I don’t know you. Leave me alone.” He didn’t even give you the chance to speak, and already he’s glaring at you. You blink, but move on. Everyone is allowed to have bad days.

Looking around, you don’t notice any more people, and start to become a bit antsy from boredom. Catching the tune of an arcade game, you round the wall and spy another man hiding next to a pool table.

You almost hadn't seen him at first, he blended into the shadows so well. Black hair, black eyes, black clothes, black shoes... The only thing that stood out in the dimness of the room was his face, that almost appeared to _shine_ in comparison to the darkness hiding the rest of him. He merely looked startled for a moment at your appearance, then started studying you in return.

His eyes moved over your tangled hair, down your wrinkled and dirtied clothes, and landed on your muddy shoes. He didn't look much impressed.

He took a step away from you, and it was then that you felt it- this man had the same spark inside him that you’d had, not long ago. He was a _subadult!_

You grin and take a big step forward, excited to greet him, but halt as he stumbles back with a grimace. Odd, he reacted the same way as…

Chagrined, you remember your current state causes pain to the same kind around you, _especially_ to those who hadn't yet come of age. You retreat and give him a small wave and a sheepish smile. He still looked a bit pained, so you back fully out of the room and return to the main dining area. As much as you wanted to introduce yourself to your peer, it would just have to wait until you could control yourself better.

Oh, but how thrilling! You hadn’t expected to meet a subadult out here- how did he manage to escape the entrapment of the rest of their kind? Only the adults were allowed into the outside world! You couldn’t wait until you could ask him everything about his life. He must have so many stories to share!

As you return to the main room, Gus calls out to you to introduce you to Lewis, who had just arrived. Still high with excitement, you step forward to greet him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian's POV of their meeting

His day started as it always did. Waking up in the darkness of the basement, he unwillingly rolled out of bed, performed his morning ablutions, grabbed some scaldingly hot coffee, and then slowly lost himself in his coding. Yoba knew it was the only pleasant thing in his life, and he was grateful nobody barged in to interrupt as they often did.

The weather app on the computer reminded him of a storm that was brewing over the valley today, and he looked forward to being out in the dim atmosphere. Getting hungry a few hours later, he decided to pack it up for the day and head out.

Donning his regular black hoodie and shoes, he slipped up the stairs and out the front door before anyone noticed. He didn’t need admonishments today. _Dear Yoba, he’s alive!_ or _Finally coming out, are we?_ or _Go help your Mother for once, you lazy boy. She’s going to break her back hauling all that lumber around. It’s not like you’re doing anything downstairs, anyway._

It’s like they didn’t realize the more they drew attention to him, the even less likely he’d want to come out. Idiots.

Starving, he made his way toward the only good place in this town with some grub, the Stardrop Saloon. Normally he’d make his way to the ocean, but the storm was too fierce today. The waves would likely be too strong to stand on the pier and enjoy it.

He gets drenched in the time it takes to walk there, but he hardly notices. He doesn’t get cold, anyway, so it’s just a minor annoyance. He’s more happy that no one else is around as he enjoys the walk. Ah, silence...

Entering the Saloon to find the same faces he always expects, he approaches Gus and orders his special of the day. Gus is always happy when someone enjoys his cooking, and speedily whips it up for him. It’s almost shameful how quickly he devours it, but Gus just takes the plate away with a happy grin. He almost smiles back.

He enters the empty arcade and stands by the sofa, just enjoying the _pitpitpat_ sound of the rain against the roof. He’s already mostly dry, but stands away from everything else in an attempt not to sully Gus’ belongings. He leans against the wall, instead.

He’s there for a while when he hears the _ding!_ of the door again, followed quickly by a low, female voice he’d never heard before. Someone new? He furrows his brow slightly, and steps closer to try and make out the words. He was, admittedly, a bit curious- nothing new _ever_ happened in this town. 

He’s almost halfway to the wall separating the arcade room from the main dining area when suddenly that new face steps into view. He instinctively wants to take a step back, suddenly unnerved, but stops as something not quite _familiar_ takes his attention.

It’s not how she looks, definitely. He studies her, but he’s sure he's never seen this person before. But he _feels_ , feels as if…

He takes that step back, suddenly very uncomfortable with how close she is, even halfway across the room.

Something sparks in her eye - _recognition?_ \- and she suddenly grins and takes a big step toward him in excitement. He’s unexpectedly gripped with an intense pain in his chest, like something was being forcibly ripped away from deep within, and he stumbles away from her. For the first time in his life, cold starts permeating his limbs. He starts to panic, and doesn’t know why.

The new woman is across the room now - _when did that happen?_ \- and the pain lessens, but is still uncomfortable. He’s confused. What happened?

Then she was gone, and he could breathe easier again. The cold was receding and warmth reinfused his extremities. Oddly enough, despite all his body’s warnings to stay away and _never do that again,_ he couldn’t help but step forward just enough to look around the wall at her again. That familiar feeling, that left as she did… it was almost comforting, in a sense. Warm, soothing. He’d never felt it from anyone else before.

She and Mayor Lewis quickly left, and he was lost in his thoughts, staring at the empty place she once was.


	5. Chapter 5

Lewis was just as excited to meet you. Gus explained that you were here to take over your Grandfather’s old farm, and Lewis surprised you by pulling you into a big bear hug immediately, exclaiming how much he missed your Grandfather and how glad he was you were here. Apparently, he’d spoken of you often.

It had been twenty years since your Grandfather had left this town, to go home and say his final farewells, but you were amazed that Lewis still looked so spry. He was what, sixty years or so? Seventy? You’d thought that people died so early, but here he was, bouncing around like a child without a care in the world.

He excitedly pulled out his phone and dialed someone - a woman named Robin, you could hear - as he led you outside and toward your new home. He tried to share his umbrella with you, but you declined, enjoying the way the rain sluiced over your skin. You took care to not allow your clothes to become _too_ wet, not wanting to give him a show, but just enough to avoid suspicion.

You didn’t pay much attention as their conversation ended, other than the woman would be meeting you at your new place. Lewis kept you in animated conversation as you walked along, telling you all about your Grandfather when he was here and how it was back in the day.

This here, you knew, was your Grandfather’s last ‘life’. He’d told you, in his letter, that he did it because he, for once, wanted a genuine connection with people. To not have to lie, and pretend, and to say a final goodbye that would actually mean _goodbye._ To meet one of those final people he had loved, and who'd loved him in return… it brought a smile to your face.

You finally approach what looked to be a half-collapsed building in a dense forest, just on the other side of the bus stop from earlier. You look at it curiously, and wonder how safe it was to live in. A woman with red hair was standing on the porch outside, sheltering from the rain, and waved enthusiastically as you both approached.

“My! Welcome!! You’re Lily, I take it? I’m so sorry about the state of the house- if I’d known you were coming, I would’ve done more than simply prop it up after that last storm tore it down.” The woman looked both excited and sad, resting one of her hands against the old, warped doorway into the house. “My name’s Robin. I’m the local carpenter, you see. It was only a few years ago a nasty storm blew through here. I’d saved what I could at the time, but most of the house is unusable now.”

You peek through the darkened doorway, into a space no bigger than your studio apartment back in your previous home. You could see from the outside that the upper story and part of the side of the house had collapsed, but you figure that the hurried repairs this woman had done some years ago would still hold, as the rest of it looked quite sturdy. You step inside and note the collapsed stairs leading down on the other side of the room- ah, a cellar.

“Thank you for what you did back then, Robin. I would hate to imagine what this house would look like now, if you hadn’t saved what you could.” You smile back at her and Lewis, as they carefully entered behind you.

She smiled widely, pleased at your indirect compliment to her handiwork. “Well, if you’re able to get the gold and materials, I’ll be happy to fix up this old home into working order again! Or even build you other buildings, if you’re up for it. There’s not a lot of work in a town this small.”

Much as you hated the idea of spending your hard-earned Joja gold, you figure it would be too much to ask someone to fix your house for free, especially as it’s currently able to function well enough. Though you look around with some distress as you note the lack of both a kitchen _and_ bathroom.

Lewis piped up to add, “Thank you for coming out to look it over Robin, I’m glad to know this old house won’t suddenly collapse on our new farmer. We’d best let her get settled in, I’m sure she needs her rest after such a long day.” He started moving toward the door, looking expectantly at the younger woman. “And I think this calls for that drink at the Saloon now. We need to celebrate!”

Robin laughed, agreeing, and followed him out the door. She turned back to grin and wave goodbye to you, welcoming you once more to town. They both took off down the road, and you could hear Robin admonishing the old man for not sharing his umbrella with you - to which he started sputtering in protest - and you laughed quietly as their voices faded away.

You lean against the porch rail and look over your forest of a farm, take a deep breath, and smile.


	6. Chapter 6

With a bit of poking around, you manage to locate some of your Grandfather's old tools. You were excited at first, but started pouting when you got a closer look at them- degraded, rusty, _normal_ pieces of iron. Unsurprising, being it had been a couple decades since they were last used. You hoped you could get them back to full working order soon.

You managed a few hours of tottering around, picking up some of the mess on your farm to clear some area for your future farming shenanigans. Large branches, stones, weeds, and saplings littered everywhere, and you did what you could until you were exhausted- though you'd taken care to simply relocate the latter to further away, not wishing to cause them harm.

By the Seed, this was harder than it looked. You just lay in the dirt, unwilling to move.

You suppose your exhaustion caused more disturbance than normal, because it wasn’t long after that that the adults found you.

First it was an elder male named Linus- dressed in what looked like large woven leaves, he appeared out of the path behind your home that led up a mountain. He stopped a good distance away, as you were getting used to, but smiled at you in welcome. He offered some guidance for the Earth if you wanted it, but stressed he very much liked to be alone. He didn’t stick around long, just enough to assure you both he was there if you needed him.

After that came Rasmodius, who much more looked the part of a Wizard, with the exception of the odd cowboy hat. Seed, you didn’t know anyone would be that blatant anymore, but you supposed there would always be some quirky individuals amongst your kind. Well, so long as you weren’t hunted down, you supposed what did it matter how he dressed?

Rasmodius lived in a spire south of your property - _H_ _e sure was on the nose, wasn't he?_ \- and he didn’t much appreciate the drain on the local aether that was interrupting his studies. Still, adults knew better than to disturb new adults, and all he did was sigh in resignation. Even he couldn’t deny how marvelous the surrounding valley would be to your recovery. He’d just have to deal with it, for now.

He welcomed you to come study if you wished, but his alignment didn’t match with yours. He pushed you more toward Linus instead- Earth was a much better match for you than Lightning. You supposed, coupled with your own innate Water, it _was_ better suited for your new occupation as Farmer. You’d have to find the time, once you had better control of yourself.

Rasmodius flashed away in a jolt before your eyes, and you sighed in sudden envy. Maybe someday. You manually trudged your way back inside your new home and got ready to sleep.

\----------------

What looked to be a bed in the corner of the room, was not, in fact, a bed.

You can attest to this, because the instant you tried to climb into it, it collapsed into a heap of broken splinters and springs. You somehow managed to extricate yourself with only a minimum of injury, and _a lot_ of cursing.

So, you spent the night on the floor, backpack under your head as a pillow, and quilt acting as a barrier between you and the inches of dust trying to invade your body.

It was not a nice night.

You woke from your unhappy sleep to the bright light of a new day, and a present at your door. Opening it, you’re glad to find that Lewis had sent you some Parsnip seeds. Well, that sure was nice of him to save you the gold. Perhaps you'd thank him by giving him one- he must like the things, if he gave you so many. You snort at the not-so-subtle hint.

It takes you longer than you’d expected to plow up the land you cleared yesterday, not used to doing purely physical work, but a little bit of warmth eased into your muscles helped you recover faster. Seed, the dense air in this Valley was good for your soul. In no time, you’d planted and watered your plot and stood back to admire your handiwork. You could feel them taking root already, and you grinned to yourself. The soil here was amazing, too!

You figure it’s late enough in the morning most people would be out and about, so you set down your tools and wander over to the town again to meet some neighbors.

The first building you come across looks to be a clinic. You feel no kindred spirit inside, so you assume it’s led by a mundane. Pity. The adults you’d met the day prior didn’t seem very trained in the medical arts. You hope you wouldn't ever need to visit here; strange things happened when your kind were injured, and you didn't want to tip off the locals to your _otherness_.

Next to it is a shop, and you happily head inside to see what’s for sale. You didn’t, after all, bring anything with you that wasn’t already in your backpack. Clothes, food, electronics… oh _please_ have one of those for sale.

Just food, it turns out. Good enough, as you hadn’t eaten since your last shift at Joja. You practically salivate at the shelves, but manage to snag some fruit for cheap before you embarrass yourself. You don’t need to eat near as often as the people here do, but that was mostly because the food at your old home is imbued to make up for the lack of aether in the air. You suppose, lacking that now, you’ll have to get on a regular eating schedule to make up for it. Hopefully soon you’ll be able to grow quality food at home.

You wander around and meet some people hanging around the square. Maru, an outgoing young woman sitting next to Penny, a very shy woman who seemed the same age. A young man, Alex, playing with some kind of oblong ball- by his attitude you take it you were supposed to be impressed, and acted accordingly. You think he bought it.

Caroline and Jodi chatted nearby about their kids, and Evelyn, a sweet but ancient lady tending some flowers. You wonder how old she is, and how close she is to passing on. Her life glitters strongly in her eyes, and you smile. Perhaps not for a while, yet.

You think you managed to meet a decent portion of the town’s populace for the day, but you note you never saw that dark subadult again. You frown and hope you haven't scared him off. But no, where would he go? The best place for him to be is the same as what’s best for you- right here in the Valley. He must just be keeping his distance. You sigh, but recognize that it’s smart. You wouldn’t want to be near him either, if the positions were reversed.

You gloomily head back home as the sun starts to set, preoccupied by the peer dominating your thoughts.

\-------------

Said peer was at home in his basement, trying to work on his latest commission but finding it very difficult, for three reasons. Firstly, he had been antsy since the night before, and he didn’t get much sleep. Something had happened when he was out smoking by the lake, a strange _empty_ feeling around him, and it had unsettled him deeply. 

He’d almost wanted to go see _why_ , intense curiosity battling that morbid feeling, especially as he saw Linus take off soon after it started. In the end though his instincts told him to stay away, and he had listened, skipping dinner and only going home after 2am, when the feeling had eased. You can bet he got an earful that morning from his step-father, asking where he'd been- and of course didn't believe the answer. _Really?_ _You were out by the lake for **eight hours**?_

Secondly, because thoughts of you had been distracting him all day. Considering you hadn’t spoken a word to each other, and he’d seen you for a total of maybe thirty seconds, this was very unusual. But he couldn’t get you - _and why he had been afraid of you_ \- out of his mind.

Why had you seemed so _familia_ _r?_ He'd been drawn in almost, feeling something in common between you; something he hadn't felt from anyone else he'd ever met. He had instantly felt relaxed with you, despite having no idea who you were. He'd never been completely comfortable around even his closest friends, Sam and Abigail. But then why, if he was so at ease in your presence, did he feel so unsettled and _threatened_ at the same time? He couldn't figure it out.

And Thirdly, because-

“ _Sebastian!!_ This is the last time I’m calling you! If you don’t get up here _now_ , I’m turning off the internet!” A man’s voice yelled down the stairs to his room. He grit his teeth, shut off his computer, and moodily stalked up the stairs.

“I have work to do, Demetrius. You know, that thing people do to make money? I know you don’t have much experience with it, but I’d thought you smart enough to know what it was. Guess I was wrong.” he snarked back at the taller man as he got to the top of the stairs.

“I know you don’t actually _do_ anything down there, boy. I, at least, get grant money from the university- which, need I remind you, is why we can afford to keep living out here. Now go help your Mother, she needs help with inventory.”

“And where’s Maru? She doesn’t have any work today. Why isn’t she here helping?”

“ _Maru_ has an actual job, and studies for college every day. You’d do best following her example! She’s out with her friend, Penny, and I thank you for understanding she needs a day off once in a while. Now _go._ ”

His anger flared hot, but he clamped down on it immediately, hands fisting in his hoodie pocket as he glared at his step-father for a moment before turning away. He passed his Mother as she entered the house, surprised to see him, but he only muttered “I’m going for a smoke, then I’ll help you.”

“Thank you, Sebby! It’ll be nice to spend some time with you.” Robin grinned happily at her eldest as he gave a half-smile back, slipping out the door.


	7. Chapter 7

You sigh down at the mess that was once your Grandfather’s old bed. Well, it was still early… you’re sure Robin’s shop wasn’t open anymore, but maybe she would take pity on you when you told her you’d nowhere to sleep?

You make your way back into town and decide to ask a passerby how to find Robin. You see someone walking in a Joja uniform and call out to get their attention.

“What? Stop bothering me.” The man grunted back, glaring at you over his shoulder. Ah, the surly-looking man from the bar last night. Well, beggars can’t be choosers.

“Hey, nice to see you again. Can you tell me how to get to Robin’s shop? I need a new bed.” You try to be polite against his growing scowl. Hey, you knew working at Joja sucked, but you didn't deserve this attitude!

He scoffs. “A new bed? What happened to your old one? Already invite someone over on your first day?” He sneered.

You raise your brows; you hadn’t thought of how it would come across. Perhaps you would phrase it differently to Robin later…

You pretend to be nonplussed, and shrug at the man. “Perhaps I did. Regardless, new bed. Can you tell me where to go now?”

He grunts and turns away, a bit disappointed at your lack of reaction. He sighs and waves his hand at the direction he just came. “Up the mountain. Take the stairs next to Pierre’s shop. Now leave me be.”

You watch as he slowly makes his way home, sadness settling around him like a blanket. If you manage to find Robin’s shop easily enough, you decide you’ll give him something later as thanks.

You climb the stairs, and see in front of you an old dilapidated building with a broken clock over the doorway. You step closer, feeling something… _off_ about the place. You narrow your eyes and step up to the doorway, thinking. You feel something here, different from how the rest of the Valley feels. What lingers inside?

It doesn’t feel dangerous, whatever it is, so you try the door handle. The doorknob doesn’t turn, locked. You start to turn away, deciding to investigate later, but then the door opens on its own. What?

In the doorway stands a little critter, blue in color, shaped like an apple with a face and waving a stick-like noodle arm at you. It retreats back into the building, leaving the door open, on similar stick-like legs until it ducks into a small grassy hut at the back of the room. You guess it’s inviting you inside.

Not wanting to be a poor guest, you step inside and close the door behind you. Possibly stupid, but again, the creature didn’t feel dangerous. It reappears from the hut, holding a shining piece of paper. It bounds up to you with a chirp and hands it to you. You attempt to read it, but frustratingly the meaning lays just out of your grasp- the best you can make out is vague shapes behind the glittering writing. Shaking your head, you sigh and look back at the creature.

It looks a bit sad, but chirps again and waves at you before disappearing into thin air. You suppose that’s your cue to go, then. You retreat out the same way you came in, tucking the scroll into your bag.

\----------------

You do manage to find Robin’s house, eventually, near the top of a _\- rather steep oh my Seed why does she live up here -_ mountain. Sadly it’s near dark at this point, and you’re sure you’ve missed your opportunity to speak with her by now. You groan at the thought of retracing your steps all the way back to your farm, and instead are drawn to the big body of clear water nearby. You could use some refreshment.

You step up to the edge and admire the view of the lake, of the crystal clear water and the life brimming under its shores. You cross the bridges spanning the small islands until you reach the one closest to the center of the lake, and take a seat at the edge. You feel yourself relax, and close your eyes.

Taking deep breaths and feeling the lake’s essence sinking into your skin, you’re at the calmest you’ve been since that first step off the bus yesterday. You only notice when the dark subadult appears by the water, almost out of sight, when something tugs at your core.

Ah, not good. The only way off this island is the bridge you came in on, and it passes right by him. You don’t want to cause him more pain… torn with what to do, to stay or go, your decision is made for you when the subadult pulls out a cigarette and starts smoking. Well, you’ll just have to stay here until he leaves, then.

You pull off your shoes and socks, and let your feet dangle in the water. You suppose, as long as you’re trapped here, you’ll make the best of it. You close your eyes again and focus on suppressing the void within you, that incessant black hole that wants to suck up all the aether in the world and damn everything else.

Adults are only truly adults when they’ve recovered from the sundering of their spark, the seed deep inside, by saturating it with aether until it's fully spread throughout the body. Until then, the void is omnipresent, and almost impossible to control. It is why new adults are cast out of the city immediately, lest they suck the lifespark out of their peers.

You wished there could be a bit more forethought into preparing new adults for life outside, aside from the schoolfeeding on how to act and talk and behave around mundanes. But coming of age always happens so _suddenly_ , and when you feel it approaching for so many years...

You sigh, but let go of the past. After all, you're here now, and once recovered you can go where you please! You'll just need to be careful- your kind are not welcome in most of the world, and you wouldn't want to be hunted down with torches and pitchforks.

Well, that might be pretty cool, actually.

...So long as you could get away. But where would you go? Aether-rich areas are few and far between, and the locations are jealously guarded as well. You'll just have to lay low, for now.

As your core greedily sucks in the ambient energy of the lake, you watch the cigarette’s flame grow and die, again and again. You find yourself wondering about his alignment. Water, like yourself? Is that why he came out to this lake, too? If so, you’d have to avoid him even more carefully in the future- like attracts like even more strongly, after all. You sigh in even deeper disappointment.

You feel movement under your feet. To be precise, you feel the _lack_ of movement that was there just a moment ago. The fish that were hovering under your heels have disappeared. You furrow your brow, and look down.

Your eyes meet the eyes of a giant green fish, staring back at you. A giant fish with _horribly sharp gigantic teeth oh my Seed!!_

Panicked, you cause a splash as you yank your feet out of the water, and then scramble away safely onto dry land. Breathing heavily, your eyes locked on the fish as it draws itself out of the water to stare at you for a moment longer, before flipping itself around with a giant splash, drenching you in its wake.

You suppose you had annoyed it, just a tad, sucking up so much aether in its home. Woops.

“Sorry…” You call out to it, but it’s already gone. You try to return some of the aether, but you are too new, you cannot wrench it away from the void in your chest. You sigh in defeat, and slump down.

Only to then lock eyes with the dark subadult, staring right at you.

  
  


\----------------

  
  


He slowly made his way to his usual spot by the lake, trying to cool the ire left by Demetrius.

The view was always beautiful out here. The moon reflected on the serene, still water. Nothing moved, nothing to interrupt his thoughts.

Putting a cigarette between his lips, he flipped open his lighter and stared at the flame for a moment- watching its flickering light reflect on his icy-pale hands. 

He lit it and inhaled deeply, feeling the smoke settle into his lungs, soothing him. He only reluctantly blew the smoke back out into the cold air of early Spring. He consumed it slowly, to make it last as long as possible, though he knew he should get back inside- he did promise his Mom, after all.

Too soon he reached the end and sighed, reluctantly pinching out the embers and tucking away the butt. A yelp and a loud splash startled him, and he looked up to see that woman from the Saloon, panting heavily and scrambling back from the water’s edge. 

His eyes widened further as he saw a truly gigantic fish - _Yoba, it’s almost as big as him!_ \- rise out of the water and stare almost balefully at the woman on the small island. It turned and kicked up a wave that crashed over the woman as the fish dove back under the water. He almost swore it looked at him, too, before swimming out of sight.

He returned his eyes back toward the woman, shock reflected in his gaze, as he realized she was _glowing._


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does everyone go through this? I'm constantly tweaking everything, geez.

He knew he shouldn’t stare, not so blatantly, but he couldn’t look away. Her clothes clung to her skin and hugged her curves and left nothing to the imagination. But it was her bare skin that caught his attention. Her face, her hands, her bare feet, all seemed to glow with the moonlight, shining with the water that covered her skin. Yoba, why couldn’t he-

She stared back at him for a moment before looking down at herself, then surged to her feet, suddenly crossing her arms over her chest. He could clearly see the red taking over her face. Coming to his senses, he jerkily turned around and stepped away from the bridge, hand resting itself over his mouth as he tried to control his own blush.

It seemed an eternity, but he eventually heard her start to cross the bridges between where they stood. His hackles stood and he tensed as he physically _felt_ her coming closer, but he stood his ground. Being scared of her was ridiculous, even instinctively, and he refused to obey the impulse this time.

He peeked over his shoulder at her as she crossed the final bridge and stood there, not coming any closer. He moved a few steps further away, and she followed, until she was able to circle around him and away from the lake’s edge. Did she know the effect she had on him? Was it that obvious? He frowned, noting her skin was back to normal, and turned to face her.

His mind drew a blank at how to broach all the questions he _really_ wanted to ask, so he instead stuck to the basics, “What are you doing out here? Who even are you? It’s dangerous here at night.” As good as any place to start, he reasoned. He could work around to the _giant fucking fish_ and _why the hell were you glowing_ later.

She frowned as he forced himself to take a step closer to her, and took steps back as a result, keeping the large, almost-shouting-distance, between them.

“My name is Liliana- Lily for them. I’m the same as you, just out here to soak in the… essence... of the lake. I’m here because I recently came of age, and my Grandfather left me this place as his final gift.”

He furrowed his brow in slight confusion. Her words seemed straightforward, but it was almost as if she was dancing around what she truly wanted to say. What was she hiding?

He latched onto the last thing she said, “Why would you come to Pelican Town, though? It’s so boring, nothing ever happens here.” It was an automatic response that burst out of him without thought. Immediately he regretted it, internally kicking himself and wishing he had chosen something else to focus on.

She only raised her eyebrows and said, “Funny, I think it’s _glorious_ to be here. Nothing can beat the utter _boredom_ of our home. Speaking of, why aren’t you there? How did you get outside?”

“...Where?” he asked. “I’ve been here all my life. What do you mean, _our home?_ ”

She blinked and tilted her head, then uncrossed her arms and propped her hands on her hips. He willed himself not to, but couldn't help glancing down at the movement. He felt relief, perhaps tinged with a bit of disappointment, that her garments were mostly dry and she was no longer exposed. But then he wondered, exactly _how?_ It had only been a couple minutes...

And, wasn't that the same outfit she had on yesterday? He frowned for a minute, trying to remember.

She opened her mouth to question him further, but then stopped and looked at the trees surrounding them.

“...We should go inside.” Is all she said, crossing her arms again before turning on her heel and quickly walking away. He blinked furiously at the change of topic before stumbling after her. Yoba, even though she was walking away it was still hard to follow- everything in him was screaming to go in the opposite direction.

She stopped by the trail to town waiting for him, looking a bit worried at his demeanor and shaking steps. She backed up more to allow him to pass, but he instead headed toward his house, reluctantly waving her to follow. She furrowed her brow in confusion, but hesitantly complied.

 _Almighty Yoba above_ , he'd thought following _her_ was bad? Having her behind him was ten times worse!

He immediately regretted inviting her inside, but nothing to be done for it now. He was determined to get some answers from her.

He pushed open the door and stumbled to the nearby wall, shaking like a leaf- the cold was coming back, and it was such a _foreign_ feeling. Is this what others felt? He grit his teeth and stepped up to the right of the counter, near the doorway into the rest of the house. She followed and stayed by the left wall, as far as she could get from him. He was grateful for that.

His Mother rounded the corner, saying, “Ah, Sebby! Good, you’re back, let’s get started on.. that…” she trailed off as she noted how pale and shaky he was. “Sebby, are you okay?” She stepped up to him and rested a hand on his forehead. “You’re like ice! Go sit, I’ll get you some blankets.”

She waved him toward the chairs on the other side of the room, startling for a sec when she noticed Lily standing there, but left quickly to pilfer heat from elsewhere in the house. He wanted to sit like he’d been told, but the chairs were next to _her,_ and he couldn’t bear to get even a step closer. Teeth chattering, he stood his ground and waited for his Mom to return.

Lily stood there, staring at him with a perplexed look on her face. “...You live here, I take it? What’s your relationship with Robin? Are you… together?” She frowned suddenly, in disapproval?

The thought made him blanch, but it did shake him out of the stupor he was falling into. He also took offense to it. There’s no way she thought his Mom was super young, so did that make him old? Or was she implying a cougar relationship?

He frowned and snapped back, “She’s my _Mother_ , thankyou.”

If anything that just made her look more confused, but as his Mom rounded the corner with an armload of blankets, she bit her tongue and said nothing more. He was quickly swaddled to the point he could hardly move.

“Sebby I don’t want you down in your room until you warm up a bit, it’s freezing down there. Why haven’t you sat down yet? C’mon.” She no-nonsense pushed him toward the chairs. His body froze in place, panicked, but inevitably stumbled forward under his Mother's forceful insistence.

The last thing he remembers is hitting his head as he fell.

\----------------

“Shit!” You exclaim as the subadult was pushed far too close and you feel the void inside you greedily latch onto his spark and _pull_. He gasps and stumbles, and unable to catch himself, slams his head into the ground and passes out. You scramble away from him as much as possible in the small room, ending up behind the front desk and pressed against the far wall, as Robin rushes to him and yells for someone elsewhere in the house.

You want to run, to get out of there, but you have nowhere to go. You can only watch as a young woman - Maru? - and an older man rush into the room. 

You’re shaking as you slide down the corner, trying to press yourself even further away from him, and cover your face with your hands. You focus inward, desperately trying to contain the void doing it’s damnedest to cling to his spark, but it’s all you can do to prevent it from pulling harder. You need him away, _now!_

The next thing you knew, Linus was pounding and shouting through the door. The man in the room - Robin called him Demetrius - threw it open and just about attacked Linus, but thankfully the elder ducked out of the way in time, holding up his hands in surrender.

“I don’t know what’s going on here, but that boy of yours didn’t look so great coming inside a moment ago. You need to get him to the clinic, now!” Linus exclaimed, sparing only a single glance at you before focusing entirely on the family inside.

“Yes, yes of course.” Robin said dazedly, then bid Demetrius to help her carry the subadult out to her truck. You could only breathe in relief as he was taken further away, the iron grasp around his spark loosening until it was forced to let go entirely.

You gasp, again and again, until you burst into tears.

Linus lay a tentative hand on your shoulder. You were led outside only after you heard the car fade in the distance, and then up the hill behind the house and seated next to a blazing fire.

You just sat there, curled around yourself, as you cried.


	9. Chapter 9

You calm slowly, getting a grasp on yourself until you’re taking deep breaths in and out, absorbing the earthen essence surrounding you, courtesy of Linus. By the Seed, the void in you _aches,_ furious as having lost its prey. You’re irrationally angry at it, though there’s nothing you can really focus that anger toward, so you aim it at yourself. You’re so _stupid!_

Let’s go inside? It was purely to sate your curiosity that you'd suggested it, even when you knew, _knew_ it was a dangerous idea. But he was just so… _baffling_ , and you couldn’t discuss such things in the open, where anyone could hear. He’s still baffling really, and you’re more confused than ever. How could he not know of your home? Every one of your kind has to be born there, in that most aether-rich area of the planet. Who managed to smuggle him out, after? And how did he even live once he was? You suppose if he had been brought directly here, the ambient nourishment might’ve been enough to keep him alive...

But then, he’d claimed that that woman, Robin, was his mother? That wouldn’t make sense- there was absolutely no draw to her, she wasn’t one of their kind. That would make him, if his claims were true, in his late twenties at best. But that wasn’t possible!

Your thoughts spin around and around, trying to make sense of things, but you can’t. You look up pleadingly. “Elder Linus… do you know anything about that subadult? Where did he come from? Seed, I don’t even know his name. Sebby?”

“Other than that his name is _Sebastian_ , no, I’m afraid I don’t. I arrived only a short while ago myself - about a decade maybe? - and he was already here. He’d rebuffed all my early attempts to guide him, and I'm not about to turn him in when he's so close to coming of age anyway, so I’ve left him alone."

Understandable. No use sending him back home when he'd likely come right back here anyway. And then he'd have to put up with a hostile new adult, too.

He continued, "Perhaps Rasmodius would know? He’s been here much longer than I.”

Linus had stopped manipulating the aether as you got yourself under control, and you felt it settle back under the surface, brimming under the earth. You could feel how tired he was, but you were so grateful for his intervention, both now and before. “Thank you… thank you so much for coming to our aid. If you hadn't...” You choke on the words.

He only nods solemnly, before he bids you goodnight, ready to retire to his tent. As a last courtesy, he points toward a path behind you that will take you directly to your farm so you wouldn’t have to cut back through town.

As you walk home, you decide the only rational explanation is that Sebastian was lying to you. Pretending not to know about his birthplace to protect whomever had gotten him out. Not that you could blame him- you wish someone had smuggled you out too. But they would have either moved around a lot as he grew, hopping between aether-rich areas to avoid suspicion, an unlikely prospect as they would’ve run into other adults… or his smuggler would’ve had to use their illusions to keep them here in Stardew Valley for as long as possible.

No, it’s rather obvious when a child doesn’t age for years, even if an adult made it appear so; it would've been too difficult to hide him. He must’ve _at least_ been in subadulthood before he left.

Odd that you’d never met him, as small as that island was, for as long as you both were there… but you suppose you never could’ve met everybody.

As far as living with Robin… maybe he meant in an adoptive sense? They didn’t really look anything alike, after all. Yes, you decide, that must be what he meant. A bit odd to adopt what appears to be a grown man, but who were you to judge?

Nodding to yourself for having figured him out, you start to relax more. Sure, you’re still a bit angry, but you could understand the secrecy. You’d just met, after all, why would he trust you?

You sigh with relief as you open your front door, only to groan when you see why you left in the first place.

\----------------

He woke up soon after the truck pulled away from his house, with a splitting headache above his temple. He groaned and tried to shift, only to find himself still cocooned in the blankets his Mother had wrapped around him earlier.

Speaking of, she gasped and then held down his shoulders as he tried to sit up. “Sebby, don’t move. You hit your head really hard when you fell. We’re taking you to the clinic now.”

He settled back against the bumpy metal truckbed, gritting his teeth with every rattle. Yoba, he hated living up a mountain.

He soon got warm again, and struggled against the cocoon that was slowly starting to suffocate him in its heat. Thankfully, his Mother helped unwrap him as she noticed his plight.

“...Mom... What happened to Lily?” He asked quietly.

“I…” She blanked out, trying to remember. “I think she panicked and ran away from you when you fell. I’m not sure after that, I was too focused on you.”

He hummed quietly in acknowledgement, knowing better than to try to nod his head.

For the rest of the ride, all he could think about, underneath the tearing pain in his chest back in the store... was how nice it had been to be near you.

\----------------

Another night on the cold, dusty floor.

You sit up and start a massive sneezing fit, until you eventually collapse back onto your backpack-pillow again in a huff, then sneeze once more for good measure. You yawn, and then dejectedly get up to start your day.

You step outside, rubbing your eye with your heel of your palm, and then sigh. First things first, the crops. You step down from the patio and approach your little sproutlings- already, after only a day! You smile softly at them, and coax some nutrient-rich groundwater up to nourish the little roots. They pulse with life as you grin.

You complete the process again for each of the sprouts until they’re all taken care of for the day. Finished, you take off toward your improvised bathroom - an outhouse, really just a hole in the ground with some hastily-propped-up wooden sides and a seat, and a bucket of water behind the main house.

You decide your first ever major purchase in this town would be the house repair. You don’t know how much longer you could take roughin’ it like this.

…At least you had something of a shower last night. 

You’re just glad you could disperse the water from your clothes before things got too awkward between you and Sebastian. You saw him looking, and you weren’t sure how you felt about it. Definite embarrassment, but also a bit of… heat?

You’re not sure what would’ve caused an surge of warmth in your abdomen, let alone just because a subadult happened to look at you… but you figure it was due to the unfortunate circumstances that had happened just prior. 

Getting admonished by a divine fish is sure to do weird things to anyone’s soul.


	10. Chapter 10

Much as you wanted to go check and see if Sebastian was alright, you _really_ didn’t think you would be welcome around him anytime soon. Dejected, you ponder about what you should do for the day.

In the end, the scroll given to you by that strange little apple creature caught your attention, and you decide to kill two birds with one stone by going to Rasmodius.

You exit to the south of your farm, and are immediately greeted by another farm directly to your left. And, oh my! You beam at all the animals running around in the front fenced area. You bounce up and lean as close as possible to see them better. In return, most of them come up to you, too- especially the babies. You pick up and coo at a tiny bunny barely bigger than your palm. It licks your nose and you giggle.

“Well, hello there! I suppose you’re our new neighbor up north?”

You look over to see a shorter, heavyset woman with a gentle face, and a small girl with strangely-purple hair that quickly hides behind her. You blush a little bit at getting caught, and quickly but gently usher the little bunbun back to its fellows.

You laugh sheepishly, dip into a curtsy, and say, “That’s right! My name is Lily. May I have the pleasure of your acquaintance?”

“My name’s Marnie, dear. And this is Jas, my niece.” She rests her hand on top of the girl’s head. The kid just stares at you with a blank look on her face, halfway hidden behind the woman. You smile gently at her anyway. You’d do your best to avoid her for now. Mundane children were a bit dangerous to be around- they saw things that the older ones no longer bothered to see. Thankfully, they grew so very quickly.

Marnie looked over at her animals, still crowded at the fence next to you, interested in the newcomer. She smiled widely and said, “I can tell we’re going to be _great_ friends. If you’d ever like to have a few animals on that farm of yours, please come to my shop! Just treat them with love and respect and I’ll be happy to sell some to you.” She laughed when the tiny bunbun wiggled it’s way out from between two loose slats and propped it’s paws up against your leg, nose wiggling and ears straight up in curiosity. “They seem to like you quite a lot! You must be a good person. I hope to see you more in the future; please come by any time!”

You pick up and give the bunbun a quick cuddle, and then place it back in the pen again and put a large rock in front of its escape hole. It tries anyway, but is unable. It almost _pouts_ up at you, and you laugh. You’ll be back for that one, later.

“Thank you, Marnie! I’ll happily take you up on that offer, hopefully sometime soon. I’ll just need to have Robin build some appropriate housing for them first.” 

You’re a bit awkward with goodbyes so you just wave at them both as you start walking away. “I have to get going now, but I’ll see you around!”

She says her goodbyes back to you, just before you duck out of sight.

\----------------

You follow the river around to the southwest, and eventually spy the top of the Wizard's Spire through the trees. It's farther away than you were expecting, but at least you were able to find the stairs easily enough.

Ah, what a nice spot for it. A well of rich energy bubbled up from underneath, enveloping you in its warmth. You might just take him up on his offer to study here.

You knock on the door, and it opens by itself. Rasmodius calls for you to enter but to take care not to disturb any of his experiments. From the amount you see as you step inside, you could easily expect the Valley to be blown sky high should anything set off a bad chain reaction. You take care to touch _nothing_ until you're safely in the middle of the room.

Out of courtesy, you try to minimize the amount of aether your void is always consuming. You don't know if you succeed, but it's the thought that counts. Probably.

"And why, pray tell, have you decided to grace me with your presence today?" He asked, glancing up at you over his notes. 

He was currently seated at a simple desk with copious amounts of paper covering every available inch of space. He was in full wizard regalia again, complete with cape, and even had a fluffy long-feathered quill in his hand to complete the look! You bite the inside of your cheek to keep from showing any emotion on your face. You desperately wanted to know if he was being genuine, or just enjoyed messing with others.

Figuring that questioning his life choices wasn’t the best way to go, you forcibly shift your thoughts back to your reason for coming here. You pull out the golden scroll from your bag and step close enough to offer it to him.

“Adult Rasmodius, I’m sorry to intrude. I was wondering if you could help me translate this? A strange, apple-like creature gave it to me yesterday when I visited an abandoned building in town.”

He sets his quill down and takes the scroll from your hands, unraveling it immediately. “Marvelous,” He says, “I’ve always been quite taken with the creatures, but they refuse to come near me anymore. All because I once tried to take one apart.” He harrumphs, perhaps sulkily. “They are called Junimos; they are the spirits of the forest. They’ve been here for as long as our kind have existed, and will continue long after we’re gone.”

He takes a moment to read the scroll, going over it multiple times before continuing, “It’s an obscure language; last I saw it was a few hundred years ago. They wish for you to help them, and in exchange they will give you gifts. If you decide to, you’ll need to imbue yourself with their essence so you may understand them.”

He hands the letter back to you. You again try to decipher the words, now knowing what they mean, but are still unable. You sigh quietly and think over your options. Did you really want to get entangled in a pact with spirits? They can be quite tricksy creatures, and even though _that_ one didn’t feel dangerous didn’t mean none of them were. 

On the one hand, if you _did_ decide to help them, you would then have the native residents of this land on your side. And if you _didn’t…_

...You decide you rather like the Valley, and would like to continue to visit it in the future.

“I’ll help them. How would I go about imbuing myself with… _forest essence?”_

Judging from his pleased reaction, you must’ve chosen correctly- or at least what _he_ feels is correct. He gets to his feet and glides smoothly over to a cauldron bubbling on one side of the room.

He gives it a good stir and the dull green color quickly turns into a vibrant emerald. “This cauldron has been brewing with the local flora for quite some time now. Don’t worry; I tested it on myself long ago. It’s safe enough for a new adult, though you may at first feel disorientated.” He carefully ladles out a precise dose into a bowl and hands it to you. “Abhorrent taste, though. I advise just getting it over with quickly.”

Elixir in hand, you feel the warmth spreading through your fingers, and smell the strong scent of pine. Your nose tingles. Taking in a deep breath you bring the bowl to your lips and start chugging. You almost gag, but instead screw your eyes shut and power through until every last drop is gone. You rip it away from you with a gasp.

The warmth of the vile concoction spreads from your stomach out to the rest of your body, and you can soon feel it in the tips of your fingers and toes. It spreads to your cheeks and you feel yourself flush. You close your eyes as you start to feel woozy. You should probably have sat down first.

Rasmodius reluctantly takes your upper arm and leads you to the chair he vacated only recently. You sink down gratefully and just sit there, eyes closed, as the memories and experiences of the forest sink into your soul. The decades of quiet serenity; the life and death abundant all around you; the hot flash of a wildfire burning everything down, only to start anew amongst the ashes. By the time you come to your senses, you feel much older.

You are keenly aware, now, of the nature surrounding you. You could always feel it before, of course, but now it seems every twig, every leaf, every root is linked together into one big harmonic network. It is blissful in its simple complexity.

You take some time to savor the feeling before it fades to the back of your mind as you focus on returning to the here and now. You’re dimly aware that you’d received a tremendous gift, and vow to return Rasmodius that favor in the future. You open your eyes to see the adult still standing a distance before you, watching you carefully. How long were you out?

Long enough, it seems, for the self-proclaimed Wizard to run out of patience. Before you know it you’re ushered to the door, with the excuse that he must return to his studies and experiments. Being that the sky was turning orange, you figure you were in there nearly all day. No wonder he was eager to be rid of you.

Well, you’d meant to ask him what he knew of that subadult, Sebastian, but you suppose it would have to wait ‘til another time.

You turn and head back towards home.


	11. Chapter 11

Once more, you find yourself standing before your not-a-bed, glaring down at it with your arms crossed. You swear to Seed, if you have to spend _one more night_ on the ground…

The sky still has the bright colors of sunset, and if you run you may be able to catch Robin before she shuts for the evening. Now that you know that shortcut through the backwoods you should make it there much more quickly.

Mind set, you start jogging up the path. And you start flagging almost immediately- your previous slow-paced life not lending you any favors. You’re determined to make it in time, however, so you press on.

...And on, and on, and on. Until you finally, _finally_ catch a glimpse of the roof in the distance. You stumble into the adults’ campsite, but he doesn’t appear to be anywhere near. You take a moment to catch your breath anyway- here, too, has a small wellspring of energy bubbling up from the earth, and you recover quickly. Small blessings.

While you rest, you carefully sense the environment to determine where the subadult is hiding. Your eyebrow twitches as you find him somewhere… below(?) the house in front of you. You went from being disappointed you couldn’t find him, to dreading getting too near. Why for Seed’s sake did he have to live in the one house in town you desperately needed to visit!?

Breath caught, you start toward the shop before the sky gets too dark. And then pause in front of the door. Are you supposed to knock, or…?

The answer didn’t matter, because the door opened and Robin stood in front of you. You blink in surprise, one hand held up to rap on the door, and stare at her for a moment before flushing and quickly lowering your arm behind your back. You just couldn’t get away without embarrassing yourself _at least_ once per day, could you?

She looked surprised to see you too, then cocked her head to the side and stared back at you with an expression on her face you couldn’t quite decipher. Not quite a smile, not quite a grimace; brows furrowing but eyes wide. She opened her mouth to say something to you, then just slowly closed it again. The silence between you stretched on.

“... Is Sebastian doing alright?” You finally ask, unable to bear the awkwardness anymore. You step back to allow her to exit her home, not really wanting to go inside.

For a moment you thought she would just close the door in your face, but she eventually stepped out to join you, gently closing the door behind her. She gestured for you to walk with her and led you to the cliff face near the trail to town.

“He’s doing better today, thankyou for asking. Harvey kept him overnight for observation, in case the fall caused a concussion. It didn’t, far as he could tell, so Sebby is resting at home now.”

She stood there quietly for a moment, just looking out over the view. You admired it too- the sheer amount of trees growing between here and the ocean just below, which sparkled with the last remnants of sun. Pelican town and its residents slowly winding down for the night, but some still out and about, so small they looked like ants. The peaceful sight made you smile.

Robin took a deep breath, and turned to look at you straight on. “My Sebby is very shy, and doesn’t warm up to people very quickly. Yet, after only being here a single day, he invited you into our home after dark. And _yet_ , contrary to what anyone would think when hearing a young man invited a young woman to his house at night, he _claims_ not to have those intentions. So, I find myself a bit confused. May I ask you, Lily, why you were visiting us yesterday evening?”

It was less of a request, and more of a demand. The smile slowly faded from your lips and your eyes widened as you processed just what Robin was implying. In a fluster, you spit out the first thing to come to mind- the truth.

“I came to ask you for a new bed! The one in the cottage broke, you see, and…”

You trail off at the shocked look on her face, and you start flushing bright red as you could practically _hear_ her thoughts running rampant. She started to blush, too, and quickly looked back over the beautiful view of the mountain.

“Nooo, no, it’s not like that! I mean- I didn’t-” You start stammering, but it’s not getting any better, and you just hide your face in your hands and will the embarrassment and misunderstanding to _go away!_

Hands still covering your eyes, you jump when you feel Robin put her hands on your shoulders. You’re still flushing but manage to squeak out, “The old bed just _collapsed_ when I tried to climb in that first night - _by myself!! -_ and yesterday I came by hoping you could sell me a new one… but it took longer to get here than I was hoping, and I arrived too late. I met Sebastian out by the lake, and he invited me inside. That’s _it,_ I swear!”

Her hands squeezed your shoulders gently, then let go. “I believe you.” She said. You peek up at her through the gaps in your fingers, take a deep breath, and then stand up straight to look her in the eye. You’re still flushing, just a little bit, but it was gradually receding. You were grateful, and started to relax.

She did too, her tense posture slumping slightly, as she propped her hands on her hips and smiled at you. The worry and embarrassment disappeared from her expression, leaving only the happy smile- ah, so that was the mix of emotions from earlier.

“Well then, come on inside and I’ll show you what I’ll be able to make for you. I don’t have any ready-made, but I’ll be able to whip one up soon enough.”

Robin starts walking, but you’re hesitant. You confirm once again that Sebastian hasn’t moved - _Why do you feel him_ **_below_ ** _the house? Wasn’t he resting? -_ before following her inside.

You swear if he moves even a single muscle, you’re running for the hills.


	12. Chapter 12

Sebastian lay on his bed, bored out of his mind. He’d spent the last night in the clinic, with Harvey waking him up to check on him occasionally, and he was so exhausted.

He did not, thankfully, have a headache anymore and had been cleared of any serious injury, but his Mom had been insistent that he rest anyway. She had popped down multiple times that day, and after the third time he was caught out of bed she had threatened to put him to work if he was ‘feeling so great’. Being that he was, again, _exhausted_ after two nights in a row of shitty sleep, he just gave up and lay there obediently.

So he’d read some of his comics; sent a few text messages to Sam; dreamt up new Chronicles scenarios for their next game; checked his favorite authors to see if they’d finally updated… and after only a few hours was _just so over it already._ How was he meant to get through the rest of the day when he’d already gone through everything he wanted to do!?

Forced relaxation was not, in fact, a good source of _relaxation._ He was so wound up that any sudden noise might launch him into the ceiling. He almost wanted to relieve himself of his tension, but he didn't really have the drive and it was sure to take him a while to finish.

If it weren’t for the fact that his _Mother_ kept popping in at random times, and she could be damn quiet when she wanted to be, he might've attempted it anyway. But just the thought of getting caught was mortifying, and he banished it into the far reaches of his mind, ever forgotten.

So he lay there. Bored, tired, and staring into space. He wanted to scream in frustration.

And then felt the warmth of his basement start draining away, and all his muscles locked in place as he felt a familiar soothing-threat settle into his mind.

  
  


\------

You step cautiously into the house behind Robin, and stand at the counter as she digs through a catalogue to the section showing bedframes. She finds it, and starts pointing out the types she could make for you quickly, and going over what kinds of lumber she currently had in stock.

Keeping a firm mental eye on Sebastian’s location at all times, you find yourself drawn into Robin’s easygoing conversation, and you start to relax just a little bit. You hadn’t really noticed it before last time you were here - you think you could be forgiven for that, given the circumstances - but you feel the strong flow of aether bubbling up beneath you. You realize that Linus hadn’t settled upon the center of the wellspring; it was _here,_ just under your feet. And it was just as comfortable as back at the Spire.

You wish your farm was also this pleasant. It wasn’t by any means _lacking_ , it sitting upon its own small spring, it just didn’t have the constant overflowing warmth spilling out from below as these places did. You suppose your Grandfather, being the amicable guy he was, had just claimed the first unspoken spot he’d found rather than fight for something better.

Oh well. You’d inherited a decent enough place, and hadn’t yet had to fend off anyone trying to take it away. You’d be content with that.

Though you suppose if Rasmodius never had a successor, you might just be tempted to move a bit southwest…

You snap back to attention when Robin starts staring at you expectantly, and you pretend you’ve been engrossed in the catalogue all this time. You just pick one of the ones she’d pointed at at random, and ask for whatever lumber she thought would look best. She just smiles a bit slyly at you, and you think maybe she knew you weren’t quite all there for the conversation, but packs up her catalogue anyway, saying she’d have it all set up in your house by tonight.

You start digging out your purse to hand over the gold, but she stops you with a gentle hand over yours, saying it was a gift, and she felt bad she hadn’t thought to check the bed was alright before you’d arrived. You thank her profusely for her generosity- you didn’t have a lot of gold to spare, and those seeds you saw at Pierre’s looked _expensive._

Contrary to how you’d felt when you arrived, you now found yourself reluctant to leave- it was just so _comfortable_ here. But you shake your head at Robin’s offer to stay for dinner, and will yourself over the threshold into the cool night air.

With a sigh of relief at successfully not encountering Sebastian, you head down the trail to town, with thoughts of stopping by that old abandoned building and meeting the spirits.

You hoped you weren’t getting yourself into anything… _dangerous_.

  
  


\------

  
  


Sebastian groaned as the feeling started fading away, locked muscles releasing and the tension in his body eased. He almost gasped in relief, and almost sighed in disappointment. _Yoba, what were you doing to him?_

Rubbing his eyes, he slowly sat up until he was sitting at the edge of his bed. He slumped down, elbows resting on his knees, as he contemplated why you were putting him through such misery. And he hadn’t even gotten an eyeful this time!

Life could be so unfair.

Robin opened his door quietly and peeked in, checking on him once again. “Hey, Sebby… How are you feeling?”

“Fine, fine… a bit bored, but been resting as told.” He replied, a bit sullenly. He stood up and stretched his arms over his head, sick of being confined. “Really, Mom, I’m doing great. And I’m going stir crazy in here. Can I be released from my prison yet?”

She snorts in amusement, then smiles back at him. “Alright, alright… I suppose you can earn your freedom. Would you be up to going on a quick job with me? It’s just delivering a bed- we’ll be taking the truck. It'll let you get out of the house....”

He narrows his eyes at her in mock suspicion. “I see what you’re doing… and it’s working.” She only looks away innocently, before abruptly grinning at him. She was always telling him to get out more.

He sighs in resignation, and agrees. They never did get to spend time together the day before, just the two of them, and he knows how happy it would make her to have some one-on-one.

And he thinks he can guess who the recipient might be, anyway.


	13. Chapter 13

You stand before the decrepit door again, and give a polite knock. You didn’t get any bad vibes from being here, so you hope that the little Junimos didn’t want anything too extravagant from you.

The door swings inward, but this time nothing is there to greet you. You step inside anyway.

You close the door behind you, then move to stand in front of the cute grass hut and call out, “Hello, Junimos? I can read your message now- I’ve come because I would like to help you.” 

A blue one - the same one from earlier, perhaps - pokes its head out and chirps at you. There’s no actual words spoken, but this time you can feel the meaning behind it. It’s happy but wary of you, as you had recently been in contact with the Wizard.

You kneel down to appear smaller to the tiny creature, then smile softly at it. “I won't harm you, I promise. I needed his help to understand the letter you gave me. Is this what you wanted?” You take out the golden scroll, unravel it, and then take out a dandelion - roots and all - you had picked on the way there. You offer it to the little creature, and it leaves the safety of the hut to bounce in front of you in excitement.

It gestures for you to lay the item on its corresponding picture, and you do so. It disappears in a flash, sunken into the scroll, and its picture is now glowing. You’re amazed at this advanced show of control. These spirits were powerful indeed.

It chirps again, very pleased that you’ve given your first offering. It lays the tip of its little noodle-arm on your hand and smiles up at you. You want to pick up and pet the little creature, but you think that would be rather impolite, so you resist the urge. You just grin back, instead.

You promise you’ll be back with more offerings soon, and the little one waves you goodbye.

  
  


\----------------

It’s fully dark by the time you leave, and most everything is shut up tight. You think about heading over to the bright Saloon, but decide against it- you’ve had  _ more  _ than enough embarrassment today, and you wanted a break from people. They’d just have to wait 'til tomorrow.

Instead, you try to find how to get to the ocean you saw from the cliff earlier. You weren’t aware it was so close! With a bit of guidance from the plant network and a bit more wandering besides, you stand before a stone bridge that borders between town and the beach.

It’s dark here, of course- there are no lights except that of the waning crescent moon. You carefully pick your way across the sand to the docks. Picking the one that went furthest out, you follow it to the end until you could go no more. Standing there, highlighted by the faint moon, you close your eyes as you listen to the softly crashing waves against the pier. The strong presence of the water around you resonates in your soul, and the innate aether in your body matches the  _ push, crash, pull, push, in, out _ of the ocean surrounding you. You fall into a trance-like state.

There’s not much ambient aether in the ocean, being as vast as it is, but being surrounded by the sheer overpowering  _ might _ was always your most favorite place to be. It’s probably the only thing you really miss about your old home- being an island, you didn’t have to go far in any direction to get to a place of comfort.

You stand out there for an unknown amount of time, just staring out over the horizon. The inky-black of the distant ocean meeting the night sky; the only difference being the bright stars beginning to shimmer and shine on the dark blanket above, and the reflection of the moon below.

You’re broken out of the spell by the sound of a door shutting nearby. You blink and look around, but find no one. You suppose the resident of one of the buildings nearby has returned home.

The moon now directly above you, you decide to do the same.

  
  


\----------------

  
  


The bed looks beautiful to your tired eyes, and Robin is nowhere to be seen. It’s definitely past midnight by now, and you’re more than ready for bed. Stripping down to your undergarments, you crawl under the quilt.

You drift off to pleasant dreams, with the smell of fresh sheets, newly lacquered wood, and, oddly, the scent of smoke in your nose.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did say this was a slow burn, didn't I...? It's been like 3 days...
> 
> Hmmmm. I may have to change this.
> 
> Nah.

Sebastian was back in his room, but thankfully, this time he was at his computer actually doing some work. He’d convinced his Mom he was truly alright earlier that evening, as he helped remove the ruined bed of splinters - _what in Yoba's name happened to that thing?_ \- and unload some of the lighter wood from the truck; nothing heavy at his mother's insistence. 

He had stayed outside the house as his Mom worked on assembling the bed inside, not feeling it right to loiter in your home without permission. He did light up a cigarette while he waited, though- his Mom didn’t allow him to smoke in their house, so it had been over 24 hours since his last hit, and he was _feeling it._ His jitters calmed, and he leaned against the porch railing.

He’d relaxed more and more there, and had idly wondered why. Aside from his house, he couldn’t think of anywhere else in town where he felt such warmth. His basement was still best, in his opinion - despite how freezing his family found it - but there was a good second. It was a shame he’d never explored the old house earlier; it definitely would’ve become a good hideaway from home, whenever he didn’t feel up to company but also didn’t want to climb the Yoba-damned mountain. A pity it was now taken by a woman he couldn’t even get _near._

He’d kept an eye out for said woman, as best he could in the darkness of the forest, but figured if history held true he'd feel you long before he’d see you emerge from the trees. How he would’ve reacted, though… he figured he’d have dealt with that bridge when he came to it. But you didn’t come while they were there, and he was both glad and annoyed about it.

He’d helped his Mom move in the new mattress and put on some sheets and they headed home. The whole trip only took a couple of hours, but his Mom beamed as if they’d spent the whole day together. He supposed he should spend more time with her soon, if it made her that happy.

He hit the last button with finality, finally finished with that section of his module. He got up to make more coffee as his computer decided how many things were wrong with it.

He'd resolved to confront you the next day, and ask you everything on his mind. He both looked forward to and dreaded that meeting.

  
  


\----------------

You wake feeling so much more refreshed than the previous two mornings. You savor the feeling of actually _waking up in a bed_ by extending all your limbs to the cool corners of the sheets, then curling up and arching your back in a full-body stretch. You relax back into the mattress again, blinking sleepily and holding a pillow to your chest. Bliss.

But all good things come to an end, and you sigh before rolling out of bed. You rinse your mouth with some water, yank on your previous clothes, and decide you need another shower today after your farming was done. That'll be fun…

Stepping outside, the light somewhat subdued by the heavy rain clouds above, you approach your little sprouts. You are amazed at how quickly they’re growing. It had only been 3 days, but the parsnips already looked like they were close to harvesting. Perhaps your Grandfather had a reason for choosing this wellspring, after all... 

Not wanting to deal with your rusty, heavy watering can, you decide to pull some water out of the moist air in a mini-rainfall over your crops instead. It looked wonderful, and even sported its own mini-rainbow too! Beautiful. You gently stroke your hand over one of their leaves, and you feel it shiver.

Standing, you're a bit reluctant at the thought of ripping these little plants from their home tomorrow, but decide it is inevitable. If nothing else, you need to eat; you were getting hungry again.

And you did need to make whatever profit you could get on them, no longer having any other source of income. You'll just turn it all back into more seeds, and then you'll have a whole field to nurture.

...And then destroy. A vicious cycle.

You wonder if there are any crops that would grow year round? You’d have to look into it.

Hopefully by the end of this season, you could afford to hire Robin for the house. You suppose you'll have to pay her for the wood, too, though… you couldn't bear to cut the life of any of these trees on your property, trespassing or no. 

You may have to hire someone to cut some down eventually, and you'd make sure to be miles away while that was happening. Poor things. Being so in tune with them now, you wonder if you could feel their pain, too? You shiver at the thought of an axe hitting you, again and again.

Forcefully shoving the gruesome thought out of your mind, you move to your 'bathroom' behind your house. You first take care of business, then move to set up a makeshift shower out of a hose dangling off the roof of your house, and a large flat stone under your feet. Good enough. 

Stripping down to your birthday suit, you step under the stream of water and start rinsing the dirt and sweat from your body. Once that is done, you tilt your head back to allow the water to slide through your hair, skillfully teasing away all the grime and grease, even when lacking any kind of soap.

You're _so glad_ your innate element is Water. This would be impossible otherwise. Imagine if it was Earth… would you be covered in mud all the time? Your eyebrow twitches at the thought.

Once clean, you stand there for a minute more, just enjoying the water on your skin. You take the time to absorb as much of its essence as possible - there wasn't much, being regular tap water, but it still came from the Valley - until you sigh with contentment, and then grab your clothes to give _them_ a good washing, too.

You're too absorbed in trying to scrub out a really stubborn stain to realize you have a visitor.

  
  


\----------------

  
  


He should really, _really_ take his eyes away.

He’d rounded the corner of the backwoods path slowly, having to will his feet to keep moving forward, only to get an eyeful of _very_ bare skin glittering under the sparse rays of sun.

Your back was to him, thankfully, and he seemed to be just far enough away that you hadn’t noticed his presence. And he was also just close enough that he could _very_ clearly see that which he should _really_ be pretending he hadn’t seen.

You turn slightly to grab your clothes, and he catches a glimpse of your breast, nipple perked up from the cool air. His eyes trail down your side and over your bare, toned thigh, and then on your ass as you fully turn away from him again. Oh, his hands itched to cup those firm cheeks, to then grab around your waist and pull you against him. He wanted to firmly press his hardness up against you as his hands trailed up to your breasts, to pinch and twist your nipples until you were crying for more. Your head would fall back against his shoulder and he’d start worshiping your bare, exposed neck as he whispered all the dirty things he’d like to do to you, and you’d moan and writhe back against his cock…

He blushed as he realized he was palming himself through his jeans. He shook his head to clear out the fantasy, and reminded himself that he couldn’t possibly get that close.

He turned and hurried back toward home before he was caught, thoughts of you still coursing through his mind.

  
  


\----------------

Refreshed, you disperse the water around you and pull on your now-dry clothes. You relished in the feeling of truly being _clean,_ for the first time in the last few days.

And then immediately decide you’ll forage for the rest of the Junimos’ requested items today, and probably completely dirty yourself in the process. Oh well.

You grab your backpack from inside the house, then set off toward the backwoods behind your home- you’re sure you’d seen some stuff growing along that trail that other night, and it was the closest to you so you figured you’d start there then loop back around to the forest south of your farm.

You think you might see something dark and human-shaped flash in your peripheral vision, but when you look there’s nothing there. Suspicious, you mentally reach out, _feeling,_ and sense a subadult’s spark quickly fading away at the far reaches of your consciousness.

What was Sebastian doing out here? With how quickly the spark was moving, he must’ve been frightened at the sight of you- he hadn’t even gotten close enough for your void to feel him, but he was already running away. You’re a bit saddened at this. Yet with masochistic curiosity, maybe just to try and reassure yourself it _wasn’t_ terror making him flee from you, you tune in to your new forest senses and follow the network, jumping from root to root until you catch up to him speeding through the trees.

He’s breathing heavy, and his face is flushed red. He continues on at a fast pace, then glances over his shoulder and stops in the middle of a dense copse of trees. He slumps back against one to rest, and places a loose fist over his mouth. He’s still breathing hard, his face still red, and his eyes become unfocused. He closes them, then releases a quiet moan as he palms himself between his legs. He gasps and then bucks up against his hand, eyes flying open and glancing around to make sure he’s alone.

Seemingly reassured, he slides down the tree until he’s sitting, head resting back against the bark. He grinds against his palm again, moaning quietly. He unbuttons his jeans with haste and pushes them down his hips, then pulls out his stiff cock with a groan. He fists himself immediately and starts a rapid pace, foreskin sliding up then back down again exposing the head, precum flowing out with each pass. His eyes are closed and he’s soon bucking up into his fist, panting. He presses a tight hand over his mouth to stifle himself, and rolls slightly to his side as he spills his cum all over the forest floor.

His breathing slows and he’s resting boneless against the tree as he recovers, eyes closed. He gently tucks himself away and straightens his clothes before opening his eyes and looking up through the canopy above him. He looked completely relaxed, for the first time you’d ever seen him.

You snap back to your body and realize you’re flushing, and your body feels very warm, and there’s a kind of tingling between your legs. You’re left _wanting_.

...You don’t think he was frightened.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this just got raised suddenly to explicit. I regret nothing.

You end up turning on your heel and making your way south instead, thoughts muddled by what you’d just witnessed.

Your legs are still a bit shaky, the warmth in your body has settled in your cheeks and in your lower abdomen, and the tingling, if anything, has gotten stronger.

You knew what was happening, but learning about it is not the same as _feeling it,_ and for the first time in your life, as an _adult_ , you felt yourself going into heat.

It was natural that your kind didn’t get the urge to mate until they reached adulthood - that was the whole point of it, wasn’t it? - so you were a bit taken aback when you saw Sebastian, _the subadult Sebastian,_ very clearly partaking in an activity that he had no business partaking in. And yet, he’d set off your own natural inclinations, and you wanted to turn around and go to him _so much._

You think about approaching him as he rested under that tree; of straddling his lap and wrapping your arms around his neck; of kissing him on his lips, his jaw, his neck, his shoulder; of exploring the bare skin of his chest with your hands; of undoing his jeans and reaching in to touch his-

Your palms slap your cheeks, hard, as you yank your thoughts back to the here and now. You _definitely_ can’t do any of that! Getting anywhere near him, _especially_ in your current state, would be a death sentence!

Your void is working overtime, and is sucking up every ounce of aether in the vicinity in your mental and emotional turmoil. You march through the forest south of your farm and end up at a lake with a long pier extending into the middle of it. Thankfully, it was unoccupied.

You hasten to the end of the pier, give a perfunctory _look_ around to make sure nobody was watching, and then step off the edge and, with a small splash, end up at the bottom of the lake.

You curl up into yourself, bubbles floating around you, as you wait for the ardor in your veins to cool.

You expect you’ll be down there for quite a while, yet.

  
  


\----------------

  
  


He decided he’d go back to your house tomorrow to try again, as he was sure you’d be gone by now and he had other things to do than wait around for you to come back.

… And he made himself promise he’d show up a bit _later_ the next day, to try and avoid needing to run off to the middle of the forest again. Yoba, that was a bit embarrassing, he couldn’t even make it all the way home before succumbing to his thoughts. At least he’d managed to find a private spot before he lost all of his senses.

But after seeing you, with the water dripping seductively down your curves, the way you moved as you bent over, your long legs he could just imagine wrapping around his waist…

Shit, no, _halt!_ He was getting hot again already and he did _not_ need to take himself in hand for the second time that day.

Yoba only knew what had happened to him- his libido all throughout puberty hadn’t matched what he’d just experienced. He’d had his fair share of wet dreams and of morning wood, sure, and the natural consequences of that, but he’d been fairly asexual as far as others were concerned. Even his brief stint with Abby didn’t elicit much reaction from him, and she’d certainly tried her damnedest at the time.

But one, brief look at you and suddenly he was hot and panting and couldn’t wait even twenty minutes to get into the safety of his room? What was _wrong with him?_

He turned on an ice cold shower as soon as he got home and quickly got inside, hoping the shock would tone down the excitement happening below. It took a while to cool his lust, with his thoughts still running rampant. He rested his head back against the tile, and breathed a sigh of relief as his dick _finally_ softened again.

He returned to his room, trying to put you out of his mind.

  
  


\----------------

  
  


It didn’t work.

He had just finished taking his fourth cold shower of the day, but no matter how many times he convinced his cock to _behave,_ as soon as he returned to his room the feelings started back up again. And he couldn’t continue to do this- even though he had his own private bathroom down in the basement, eventually his family would catch on to his actions.

He groaned in frustration and lay down on his bed, and felt himself start to react again in almost no time at all. He hadn’t even bothered to get dressed again this time, knowing what would happen, so he lay there staring up at his ceiling as he felt his body flush and all his blood start pooling between his legs.

Giving up resisting, his hand reached down and rubbed his length open-palmed, pressing his thumb over the slit and rubbing the bead of precum found there into the head. He wrapped his hand around his shaft and let his thoughts wander back to your bare body.

In his mind, his hand was replaced with yours, as you slowly moved your hand over his shaft, exploring him. You had one knee on his bed, the other foot on the floor, as you knelt over him. Your other hand joined the first, rubbing your palm over the head of his cock every time you reached the base, lightly squeezing. He jerked in your hands at the sensation, gasping quietly, and tried to push himself further into your touch, but you just laughed under your breath and stuck to your slow pace. 

He widened his legs as you climbed between them, one hand trailing down to cup at and rub your thumb over his balls. You lean over and kiss the inside of his raised knee as you drag your nail gently over the seam of his sack, and he shivers in delight. You kiss further and further up the inside of his leg, and he tenses as you get close, but you just swap to the inside of his other leg and work your way back down to his other knee. He lets out a shuddering exhale, and then his breath catches in his throat as suddenly you’re _on him,_ lips wrapped around his cock and slowly sinking until he’s down your throat, and you swallow around him with your lips touching his groin. Your hands rest lightly on the inside of his thighs as his hands rush to the back of your head, tangling in your hair, as he tries and fails to press himself even further into your mouth. He settles for grinding and thrusting against you, instead.

He’s breathing hard, eyes shut, imagining he’s watching you bob along his cock, taking him in as deep as possible over and over again. Your eyes meet his, and he can’t help himself when he pulls you up his body and he rolls on top of you, settling between your legs and he’s pressed tightly up against your heat.

He gasps and begs your permission, and you give it, and then he’s pressing into you and you’re _so tight_ and _so wet_ and _white hot_ around his dick, and it’s all he can do to still and not shoot his load into you immediately. He buries his face in your neck and tries to control his breathing, as you wrap your legs around his waist and run your nails gently up his back. He shudders as you press your heels into his ass, pressing him even further into you as you grind against him.

“ _Fuck!_ Fuck, you need to stop, I’m gonna-” but you don’t, and you thrust up against him harder, begging him to move. His eyes roll back into his head as his hips snap to yours, and you _moan,_ and then he’s jackhammering into you and he can’t stop, it’s too good, _it’s too-_

And then he’s cumming, hips slamming into yours with him deep inside you, as his cock pulses again and again. He gently but desperately bites your neck, trying to stifle his moans as he pumps his seed into you. After what feels like an eternity, his body relaxes and just lays on top of yours, content.

He opens his eyes to find himself on his stomach, laying on top of his pillows, with a mess between his legs.


	16. Chapter 16

After his second session yesterday, he’d finally managed to relax and focus on other things. He’d managed to finish his commission without any interruption, and he was pleased to have some more gold flow into his pockets. 

Though he did end up waking up twice that night with a raging erection that he'd had to take care of before he could go back to sleep. It did make him a bit tired overall, but being that he spent so much time in the comfort of his room, he felt very rested and relaxed. Yoba, if he knew how much it could improve his mood, he would’ve been doing this long ago. Shame he’d never had the inspiration, ‘til now.

Today was another good rainy day, and he headed down toward the farm, hoping he could corner Lily and convince her to answer his questions. He approached the last turn cautiously, peeking around the corner, and was relieved when he didn’t spy her in the nude again. Not that he’d refuse another look, since the last one was so short… but he actually wanted to accomplish his goal today.

He approached the front door cautiously, though oddly enough he didn’t feel that apprehension he usually did when approaching the new Farmer. He knocked on the door, and waited, ready to spring away as soon as he feels you approach.

...But you never do. The house was still, and quiet. Were you not home?

Just his luck. Who else besides him would go outside on such a stormy day? He’d have to try again tomorrow…

  
  


\----------------

  
  


But you weren’t there that day, or the next, either. Where were you?

He was currently at the Saloon with his friends for his regular Friday night tradition of kicking-Sam’s-ass-at-pool while Abby watched. Even when terribly distracted by thoughts of you - some of which were highly inappropriate for company, which he tried very hard to suppress - Sam really was just that bad, and he won over and over again. Eventually Sam gave up for the evening, and flopped dramatically into one of Gus’ overstuffed armchairs with a Joja Cola in his hand.

“Geez, dude, can’t you let me win once in a while? At this rate I’ll just give up entirely and then you’ll have _no one_ to play with.” He cracked open his Cola and took a long drink from it, then gave a satisfied sigh.

Sebastian just smirked and flipped him the bird and said, “In your dreams. How will you ever get better if I go easy on you?” He took the only remaining seat available next to Abby, and snagged the plate that Sam had just put a piece of pizza on.

“Hey!”

“Winner’s choice, loser.”

Sam just grumbled but took two more slices in retaliation, then hugged his plate up to his chest as he glared at Sebastian, before taking a big bite. “Mmmmm…. Pizza.”

He just shook his head at his best friend, and turned to Abby to see why she was so quiet. She had been playing games on her phone earlier, but was now staring at him in curiosity instead. She reached out and poked his cheek, to which he closed his eye and glared at her, then moved away. He never did like being touched.

“You’re different today, Seb. Did something happen recently? You’re much more… glowy. And happy.” She asked, still staring intently at his face.

“Mmm.. now that you mention it, Seb does look happier, and more relaxed than usual. What, dude, did you get laid or something?” Sam laughed through his mouthful of pizza.

A slight blush rose to his cheeks, but he tried to disguise it as he said, _“Rude,_ Sam. There's a lady present.”

Abigail just bust up laughing and grinned at his joke- she always tried to be as unladylike as a lady could be. She didn’t miss the redness on his cheeks though, staring so intently at him, and she gave a sly smile.

“Oooo, is Sam right, Seb? Who is it? Anyone we know?” She said teasingly.

“No way! Really!? Who Seb, who??” chimed in Sam in excitement.

He put on a deadpan expression. “You two are dead to me.”

They both just started laughing as he sighed in embarrassment. Despite Abby’s teasing and Sam’s elbow-nudging, he knew they were kidding. He hadn’t been interested in anyone his entire life, and they knew that. 

He kept his mouth shut. They’d get over it eventually if he didn’t give them anything to work with.

Conversation did end up turning away from him for a little bit, as Sam tried convincing Abby to be their drummer again for their band. He tuned out their usual argument of _‘Pleeeeease?’_ and _‘No. I don’t like performing in front of people.’_ As his thoughts wandered, once again, to where you were. If you weren’t at your farm, where would you be?

He’d even taken to wandering around the town on his way back home after his failed visits, trying to see if he would feel your usual terror-calm somewhere, but nothing ever showed up. You didn’t leave… did you?

But why? There was nothing he could think of that would happen to drive you away so abruptly. You were settling in easily enough, you’d just had a brand new bed delivered to you, and you certainly _seemed_ happy as you were taking that sorry-excuse-for-a-shower…

Without him noticing, a frown started growing on his face as he stared at the wooden floor of the arcade. His friends had noticed, and were staring at him with some concern. A grumpy Seb wasn’t unusual, but for him to start frowning, brows furrowed, as his thoughts clearly turned somewhere dark… _that_ was worrying.

Sam tried to break him out of it by lightly slugging him on his shoulder and saying, “So, let’s go find that ladyfriend of yours, eh? You look like you could use a pick-me-up.” He joked, smiling at Sebastian to lessen the blow.

It was the wrong thing to say. He flinched, looking up at Sam briefly with wide eyes, for a moment thinking that he'd been found out and Sam knew there actually _was_ someone he'd been having those thoughts about. Sam just blinked back, confused, before understanding dawned in his eyes and his expression sobered.

Sebastian schooled his expression back into careful blankness, and while he inwardly cringed at seeing Sam’s face reflect his sudden understanding, he was grateful that he had mostly turned away from Abigail and she hadn’t seen what Sam had. She had just noticed him snapping his head up and growing stiff, and thought he had been offended- she glared at Sam and said, “Nice going, nimrod.”

Sam just continued staring at Seb, a serious expression flickering on his face for once, then leaned into Abby's sight, smiling bashfully, and replied, “Haha, sorry Seb… I stuck my foot in my mouth again, didn’t I? Forgive me bro?”

He turned false pleading eyes toward Sebastian, but he could tell that Sam would be hounding him later for answers. He just nodded his head and accepted the ‘apology’.

“Well, I’m gonna get going, I promised my Mom I’d be home early to babysit Vincent tonight. I’ll see you two around?” Sam said while standing, not-so-sneakily trying to hide the rest of the pizza box behind him.

Abigail laughed and stood, too. “Yea, yea, you big oaf. Take the pizza. I’m gonna head home too; get an early night. G’night boys.” She waved as she walked to the door, leaving ahead of them.

Sam stared at Sebastian for a moment, but the dark man didn’t raise his head, not really wanting to get into this conversation face-to-face. Thankfully, his best friend understood. “Text you later, bro.”

Sebastian heaved a sigh of relief as he was left alone. He took to his feet and started walking back home, resigned to getting in long after dark, as usual. He ate his tasteless slice of pizza on the way.

He still couldn’t help but _feel_ for you as he went.


	17. Chapter 17

He had barely arrived home before a text lit up his phone, practically demanding he get on his computer to chat.

He thought about just pretending he hadn't seen it, wanting to delay this as long as possible… but sighed and sat down at his desk anyway. Sam wasn't the patient type; if he didn't do this now, Yoba knew he'd be woken in the middle of the night by an irate yet excited yellow-haired puppy-man.

He logged on and pulled up his chat to find multiple messages already waiting for him.

**Yo fam answer this when you get in**

**I gotta grill you**

**Dont tempt me, Ill hunt you down**

_Yea yea I'm here._

**Finally!**

**Dying over here bro**

**So, spill**

_About what?_

**Dont** **play with me bruh**

**Tell me all about your new ladyfriend! Whos got you in a kerfuffle?**

He snorts at the word. Sam always knew how to lighten his mood. 

_No kerfuffling happening. Just got the new farmer on my mind lately, is all._

**Oshi really? Abby and I havent even seen her yet and my reclusive boi Seb has? And is already having dirty thoughts? You??**

**She that hot man?**

**Might need to go over and say hi**

He frowned, suddenly uncomfortable with that thought, of Sam going over there and meeting her face to face. What if they hit it off? What if Sam fell for her charms too, and she invited him inside, and they headed over to the bed- the new bed _Sebastian_ had just given her-

He got irrationally angry, and clenched his fists in his lap. The thought of someone else balls deep in the woman he'd been fantasizing about was enough to spark a seed of hatred in his heart. 

Then he snapped back to himself, aghast at his thoughts. This was _Sam, his best friend!_ Even _if_ he liked her the same way Sebastian did, he would respectfully back off, knowing how he felt. He wouldn't _betray him_ like that; wouldn't _shove a knife in his back_ and _twist...!_

He felt ashamed, doubting his brother like that. 

He focused again on his screen to find Sam had sent him multiple messages in his absence. 

**So, tell me about her**

**Im waiting fam**

**Helloooo?**

**Anyone home?**

**Get lost in your fantasies again bro? Gross, but dont worry, Ill wait for you to finish. This is a matter too important to be squicked about!**

_Head out of the gutter, Sam._

_I wasn't fantasizing. Just… distracted._

**What about? Tell meeeee**

He was gripped by a moment of insecurity, and couldn't help but ask.

_… If I liked someone, but you ended up liking them too… you wouldn't go after them, would you?_

It took a moment for Sam to send his response, the typing indicator starting and stopping several times. 

**If that's something you're worrying about Seb, please don't. I hope you know I love you too much to hurt you like that. Just say the word, about** **_anything,_ ** **and I'll back off, no questions asked.**

He closed his eyes, fighting back the tears pricking the corners. Of course, of course he knew that. He just couldn't help feeling differently at times. But just seeing it like this was a relief, and he reread it multiple times before saving the chatlog to his desktop.

_Thanks, Sam._

**No problem, bro**

**You want me to stop for now?**

**Ill probably still be curious though**

_Nah, it's okay. Ask away._

**Sweet!** ****

He settles in for a long night of bantering and badgering.

  
  


\-----------

  
  


You're still at the bottom of the lake, but you're slowly getting better. 

For the past few days you've been constantly sucking up the aether around you, helpfully replenished by Rasmodius' large wellspring nearby, and you've almost gotten yourself back under control. 

Said Wizard did come out to check on you when you'd first arrived, but seeing the state you were in, had left you alone. Small blessings. 

Though you couldn't help but wonder... if you hadn't been a new adult - and your void didn't cause pain to even the most powerful adults around you - would he have been tempted? Being in heat is a _tantalizing_ prospect… and maybe you would've been tempted to _reciprocate..._

You shake your head slowly under the water, and banish the thought. You didn't know him that well, but you didn't get the impression he had such little self-control, or that little amount of morals. This was all you, and your damned brain going haywire.

You decide to stay down there for an extra day to cool off. 

  
  


\-----------

  
  


He was slowly going insane. 

It was once again Saturday, a full week since you'd arrived. He'd once again gone out to your farm but you _still weren't there._

He'd even stopped in at the stupid Egg Festival to check, but nobody had seen you in days. He was starting to think you'd given up and left town, after all.

He was jealous, and angry. Jealous because apparently, you could just drop in and out of whatever life you wanted at the drop of a hat, while he was shamefully stuck in his _Mother's basement_ with half a family that hated him like a freeloading bastard. 

Angry, because you hadn't taken him with you. He'd gotten used to the soothing feeling you'd brought into his life, the first time he'd _ever_ been able to fully relax, and you'd cruelly ripped that away. He was tense, and frustrated, and not even his near-constant, newfound source of _stress relief_ could keep it at bay.

He'd almost forgotten just how much it hurt to be near you, in his desire to find you again.

...He hoped you'd come back soon.


	18. Chapter 18

You wait until night comes to leave, peeking cautiously to make sure no one would see you emerge from the water. Your void has slowed down its consumption from _overwhelming_ to _a mere stream_ , and you feel that this forced seclusion might have done you some good.

You’d had pretty much nothing to do for the last few days except focus yourself inward, so you’d spent it on meditating and practicing on suppressing your void. You think you’ve managed some semblance of control over it now, to your relief.

Seeing the coast was clear, you climb onto the shore and start walking home, absorbing the last remnants of aether at the same time as you slowly disperse the water still clinging to your body. By the time you get home you’re fully dry, with no hint that you’d just spent the last few days underwater.

Stepping up to your beautifully growing parsnips, you marvel at their size. Apparently, leaving them in the ground an extra couple of days did _wonders_ for their growth- they were practically growing on top of each other now and had no more room to expand. Their leaves sparkled with aether, even in the dark night under the new moon.

You’d felt reluctant at the thought of uprooting them a few days ago, but were less troubled about it now- any longer and they’d start killing themselves with their lack of space. You suppose that’s one way to get around your guilt…

You yank them out of the ground, each with a swirl of color briefly attaching them to the aether in the soil before it slowly fades away. You gather up as many as you can carry in your arms and bring them inside your house, laying them on the old table in the center of the room, then going back for the next armful until they are all safely inside.

You pick up the biggest, most-infused one of the bunch and admire it. Giving it a good rinse, you then take a big bite out of its side. Even raw, it was good, and it’s aether flowed through your body, warming every corner of your soul. You finish it gleefully.

You cleanse your hands and arms, then head back out into the night. Spending the last few days in meditation had refreshed you, and there was no way you could sleep.

You head up the backwoods path, intent on _finally_ gathering those items.

  
  


\----------------

  
  


With some wild horseradish and a daffodil in your bag, you wander around looking for the last item- a leek. For some reason it’s just completely eluding you, not wanting to be found.

You decide that you’re just not going to find one here in the backwoods, and continue on with your previous plan of looping down around town to the forest to the south. You’ll find it eventually, if you look hard enough.

As you get closer to the carpentry shop, you carefully feel out to make sure Sebastian is safely inside, where you would expect him to be this time of night. He is, and you continue onwards, skirting around the adult’s campsite as it’s considered rude - _and dangerous -_ to approach their claimed land when they’re asleep. 

It’s instinct now, that any of their kind that approaches during their most vulnerable period - unconsciousness - is doing so to launch an attack, and the would-be victim would react accordingly before they even wake, which can lead to some… undesirable outcomes.

Considering how old Linus is, you imagine he’s fairly powerful. Last thing you want is for a landslide to crush the subadult’s house.

You carefully skirt around Sebastian’s domain for the same reason, wondering idly what his catastrophe would be if you were to startle him. You never did confirm it was Water, but you imagine the flood crashing down on you, as the room around you quickly fills up and over your head, stealing your breath and suffocating you if you were any other element…

You’d shiver, if you were afraid of that.

You continue on your way anyway, looping east to the forest and the divine lake.

  
  


\----------------

  
  


As he sleeps, he gives out a brief sigh and relaxes into his bed, subconsciously reaching out toward the feeling of warmth that briefly touched on his spark. 

He rests easy, for the first time in days.

  
  


\----------------

  
  


He wakes up the next morning refreshed. He finds it a bit odd, considering the last few days he’s been getting more tense and angry, but today he’s as calm as could be and his mood has never been better.

His hand glides down his stomach, intent on completing his new _pleasant_ morning ritual, but is interrupted by _something_ slamming onto the floor above him, followed by loud voices.

Lovely.

He rolls off his comfortable mattress and heads to the shower, instead.

  
  


\----------------

  
  


He’s gasping your name, forehead resting against his arm as he leans against the shower tiles, warm water sluicing down his back. His hand moves slowly, teasingly along his shaft as he imagines you pinned beneath him, pressed against the wall.

He hikes your legs up to wrap around his waist, and he slips inside you with a groan. He fucks you slowly, rocking his hips back and forth, brushing against your clit with every pass, sending electric sparks through your body. You wrap your arms around him and pull him closer, flush up against you, and he feels your breasts pressed up against him. He wraps his arms around your mid back, to support you and pull you even closer.

He buries his face in your neck - _Yoba he loves your neck -_ gently scraping his teeth over you until you shiver, then kissing it in apology. He grunts and holds still inside you for a moment, then straightens and pins you firmly against the wall, pulling back until he’s almost out then _slamming_ back into you, and you gasp, begging for more.

He is happy to oblige, and starts fucking you in earnest. There’s nowhere you can go, pinned against the wall as you are, and all you can do is take it as he thrusts into you over and over. The cold tile behind you is a stark counterpoint to the boiling _heat_ in front, as he reaches down with one hand to rub his thumb over your nub and you arch your back with a strangled cry.

Your gasps, your moans, your pleas for more- they all become his undoing. He slams in one last time and releases inside you, pressed up as far into you as he can go. His eyes screw shut as he feels you flutter around him, milking his cock.

His stares vacantly, breathing hard, as his cum washes off the wall.

  
  


\----------------

  
  


Spring seeds in hand, you make your way back to your farm still in the pre-dawn light of day. It had taken you _forever_ to find that leek, all the way down at the southern tip of the south forest, next to a bunch of spring onions you happily plucked for some cash. But then you had to backtrack all the way back up to the abandoned building in town.

Those Junimos are sure lucky to be so cute. And that you felt guilty for leaving them hanging for a few days.

Well, they reacted well enough, when you finally arrived with their gifts. As the little blue one gathered up its bundle of items and took it to its hut, you saw a few more in various colors happily expressing their glee. Having apparently proven yourself, more came up to you with golden scrolls, with additional items requested. Crops, Fish, Precious Metals, straight up cash money…

What did they even need gold for? You’d glanced skeptically down at the little red creature that gave you that one. It had just looked back at you innocently.

Well, you had more things to do now, at least. And the amount of seeds they gave you were pretty nice, and apparently you could make more yourself if you found all the requested items again. Handy, that.

Returning to your now-empty and disturbed plot of farmland, you quickly prepare it for new items. Being that you had no idea what would grow what, you just decide to throw them wherever and let come what may.

Only to glare and immediately chase away some crows that came down to devour your newly flung seeds. Just because you treated them like bird feed didn’t mean they were, okay!?

You grumble and get some materials together for a scarecrow, but run into a problem. Scarecrows are meant to look like people, to, as they’re aptly named, scare off the crows.

That’s a bit difficult when you have no spare clothes to give to it. You look down at your nude straw-man and frown, but prop it up next to your field anyway.

...The crows don’t look very scared. And they’re edging forward while glancing at you.

You rip it back out of the ground, and then place a moderate amount of soil to bury each of the seeds, glaring at the crows all the while. When one tries to fly down anyway, you summon down rain from the still-moist air and have it storm over your crops, and it squawks and flies away. You flip the bird the bird as it retreats.

You’d best get some clothes for this thing, soon.

  
  


\---------------

  
  


In the end you bring it inside and wrap your quilt snugly around it, treating it kind've as a cloak, and then you run back outside brandishing it just in time to scare off the braver few already down on the ground. You stand it upright, gesture at the field and pretend to engage with it, then walk away, back into your house. You peek out the window to see if your ruse was a success. Perhaps… the crows seem to be watching the scarecrow suspiciously, but aren’t getting any closer.

For now, you’ll take it.

You really, _really_ need to get some more clothes. But how?

You knew that that city you went to when you first arrived would have its fair share of shopping districts, but you really didn’t want to leave the Valley, especially not now that you’ve gotten the black hole in your chest under some degree of control. You know, through years of it being drilled into your skull, that if you were to leave now your recovery would have a major setback. You didn’t want to have to start all over again.

So you instead decide to see if any of the people in town would have any ideas, or perhaps old clothes they wouldn’t mind giving away…

You had never learned how to sew, over your many years of life, but damned if you weren’t willing to do anything at this point for a new outfit. You’d been wearing the same thing almost constantly for over a week now, and you were sick of it.

You take off jogging toward town.


	19. Chapter 19

You’re in luck; the first villager you come across is a young blonde woman wearing make-up and a stylish outfit. You immediately make a bee-line toward her with a desperate look in your eye. She stops and watches warily as you approach.

“...Yes?” She asks, as you come to a stop before her.

 _“Please_ help me. I have nothing else to wear. Where did you get your clothes??”

She just adopts a horrified look on her face, before grabbing your wrist and power walking back to her home.

  
  


\----------------

  
  


Before you know it, you’d been stuffed into multiple different outfits until she seemed satisfied with one, and now the blonde is standing in front of your sitting form, make-up in her hands and a glint in her eye.

“... I really appreciate your help, miss…?” You start, eyeing the lipstick in her hand with suspicion. You didn’t have anything against make-up; you just didn’t use it much, what with your tendency to wash it all away. That and having to keep up with the current trends in the mundane world. Easier to just never use it.

“Haley,” She chirps back, a happy look on her face. “And you?”

The lipstick gets closer to you, but she takes a moment to look up for permission before she begins. You just sigh and nod, resigned, and she gives you a pleased grin.

Waiting until after she’s done with your lips and has moved on to grab whatever-else, you reply, “Lily. I just moved here about a week ago; took over my Grandfather’s old farm out west.”

She moves on to brushing something over your face. “Ah. No wonder you were covered in dirt. I knew you’d look pretty cute in some new clothes, though!”

You just raise an eyebrow at her, and she laughs at your expression. You decide not to respond to that. Instead, you ask her what she likes to do in her free time as she starts on your eyes.

“Nature photography. I like finding scenes and capturing their beauty forever. I usually head out to the forest west of here, but haven’t had the time lately.” She pauses as she focuses on getting the lines of your eyes just right. “...I’d like to travel, though. Pelican Town is so small, and boring. I don’t want to be here forever.”

You nod- you could understand that. Even if you personally loved being here, didn’t mean you weren’t intimately familiar with the desire to run away from your home. She caps the eyeliner and pulls out her next item, moving on to your eyelashes. You start to wonder when this will end.

“Want to go shopping with me sometime, in Zuzu? I don’t get to go very often, and I’m itching for some new stuff.” She suddenly asks. You’re tempted- once you can leave, you’ll happily join her for a daytrip. But for now you can’t, and you try to think of a way to let her down easy, without screwing up your chances in the future.

“I’d really, _really_ love to- thank you for offering! I can’t just now, I have to focus on the farm, but maybe next season? Are there any events coming up you’d like to go shopping for?”

She beams and immediately says, “The Flower Dance, for sure! We have to wear the traditional white dresses, but I love shopping for accessories for it! It’s later in the Spring season though, so we won't be able to go for that one…” She pouts, just a bit. “Perhaps for the Luau? Ooo, or the Moonlight Jellies! They’re beautiful, and we can be just as beautiful to match!” 

“It’s a date, then!” You laugh, and she laughs with you.

She finally finishes and puts away all her tools, then lets you look in her vanity mirror. Wow… you couldn’t believe that was _you_ \- it’s so different! You gently bring your hand up to your cheek, not quite touching, then break out in a large smile.

It’s a shame you couldn’t look this pretty all the time, but you suppose only once in a while makes it more special anyway. You allow Haley to take a quick picture of you - she’s not a fan of taking pictures of people, but she was proud of her creation today, so you put up with it. It’s different enough from your regular appearance that it _shouldn’t_ cause you much trouble in the future…

You thank Haley for her generosity, and for promising to introduce you to her seamstress sister later, and head out the door.

  
  


\----------------

You bring the scarecrow inside, dress it in your old outfit, and place it back in the field. Success! The crows stay far away, and you relish in your victory.

Not wanting to ruin Haley’s hard work in less than an hour, you decide to head back inside for the rest of the day. Your sleep schedule was fucked since you were up all night, and you were starting to get rather tired, so you decide to leisurely clean up around the house until it was time to sleep.

Your time was coming, decades-old layers of dust.

  
  


\----------------

  
  


He felt much more relaxed today, especially after his morning shower. He tugged on his usual outfit and made his way out the door again. He’d been leaving every morning for the last few days and it had caught the attention of his family, but he couldn’t be bothered to do anything other than wave at the sarcastic quips today. He was in too good a mood. He started toward the path leading to your farm that was becoming very familiar.

Even though his hopes that you’d be there were waning, he still wanted to check, just in case.

As he approached - peeking around that last bend cautiously, as he always did - he was pleased to see that something was different. Your crops had been harvested, and a scarecrow was now standing guard! Wearing your… clothes?

He was fairly sure you only had the one set, and it was currently covering up the strawman in front of him. Did that mean that you were…

A noise behind him made him spin around, hand jumping up to cover the slight blush on his face. It had come from the open doorway in front of him, and he could vaguely see your shape as you moved in the light of the large window- thankfully clothed. He sighed in disappointment.

He cautiously stepped closer, not yet feeling the _threatening_ portion of the soothing aura that radiated off of you. He was able to climb the porch steps and up to the front door before the faintest inklings struck his mind. He stopped and knocked on the open door frame to get your attention.

You look up at him from your kneeling position on the floor, and he became dazed as your face came into view. _Beautiful…_

The red lips, the smokey eyes, the blush painted on your cheeks, the tight new clothes hugging your curves… everything about you screamed sexual appeal at him right now. His cheeks turned bright red, and if he were to speak right now, he’d definitely be stuttering.

But he couldn’t speak, because he was too busy staring wide-eyed at you, brain short-circuiting and blood starting to rush southward. Your own eyes widened as you realized he was there, and you slowly got to your feet, staring at him as you would a wild animal.

You were trapped.


	20. Chapter 20

Shit.

That’s all you could think, as you watched Sebastian stand in the doorway, staring at you.

You hadn’t even felt him until he’d announced his presence, you were that tired and distracted, and now you had no route of escape if things start to go bad. And no elder here this time to pull him away, either.

You take a step back, further into the room, and he takes a step forward to match, not seeming to realize what he’s doing. His dark eyes are staring at you but are out of focus, and he licks his lips slightly as he starts breathing heavier.

...Oh. Oh, _double_ shit. 

He’s in heat. You need to get some distance between you two before he triggers you, _again_. You start breathing hard too, half in excitement, half in nervousness. 

You retreat more and he follows, stalking, eyes barely blinking as you quickly put the ancient table between you. You try to circle around it to your left, but he just mirrors your steps to his right, and you quickly back away before he gets closer to you. _Can he not feel the peril he’s in right now!?_

You don’t know what to do. You can’t stay here, and you can’t get away, and you _certainly_ can’t let him get any closer. You start panicking. What do you do!?

He bravely takes a step toward you, breath hitching for just a moment before he powers through it, and you decide to hell with it, you’re ending this, one way or another.

You grab the ancient table between you, ladened down with the parsnip harvest you hadn’t yet sold, and flip it up toward him, obscuring his vision and forcing him to back away. You can’t see where he goes, and have to risk which way to make your escape, and you take a chance and dash to your right, the closest path towards the door.

...It was the right decision. Sebastian sees you at the last moment and almost manages to catch your arm as you fly by, but you evade his grasp and dash out the door into the open air.

Freedom.

  
  


\----------------

He’s struck dumb, blinking slowly, standing alone in the dark room you had just vacated. His eyes had followed you and he could see you standing outside, looking back at him and seemingly waiting for him. What..?

He shakes his head abruptly, trying to clear it. He tries to take deep breaths to clear his thoughts, but it doesn’t help at all- all he can smell around him is _you._ Your scent, overpowering, with sweat, with arousal, with-

_Fear._

That’s what finally breaks him out of it, and he gasps and stumbles out your door, down the patio steps, and ends up at the foot of a giant oak tree a good distance from you. He leans back against it for support, legs shaking with the aftermath of adrenaline, and turns to look at you. Yoba, what was he just trying to do?

What would he have done if he’d _caught you?_

It was just like one of his fantasies running through his mind, one of the numerous that had plagued his thoughts near constantly for the last few days, that had always ended up with himself in hand just to give him some _relief,_ just for a while.

But it wasn’t, he had to remind himself. It wasn’t, you were _real,_ and you were _scared and running away,_ and…

...And he very much liked having to chase you.

He shut his eyes tight, needing to cut off the vision of you right now, looking so very appealing before him. He ground the palms of his hands into his eyes until it was flashing white and he could distract himself from thinking about it, about _what he would have done_.

Yoba, he’d sure fucked up this time…

  
  


\----------------

To your relief, Sebastian seemed to be gaining control of himself again. You’d been worried briefly when he seemed to want to follow you, but he’d snapped himself out of it and moved away instead, to rest against a tree nearby. His shaky legs had given out at some point and he was sitting on the ground, heels of his hands pressed into his eyes as he tried to control his breathing. You were reminded of a situation not so long ago, when he was in the same position, hand reaching between his legs…

You gulp, feeling another surge of warmth start to curl in your abdomen, to settle between your thighs.

You bite your lip, _hard_ , and forcibly eject that memory from your mind.

You're the _adult_ between the two of you. New though you still were, you should still be able to control yourself better than he. If he was able to get a grasp on his instincts, you would too.

Figuring that talking might help distract the both of you, you ask, “Sebastian, why did you come here? You should know better than to approach me, in the state you’re in. Can’t you feel how dangerous it is to be near me?”

It takes him a moment to focus on your words, but you can see the calming effect they’re having on him as his breathing starts to ease, and he starts losing the tenseness in his body. He pulls his hands away from his eyes- and while he’s still not looking directly at you, he at least turns his head in your direction.

“... I don’t understand what you mean,” he rasps. “What are you talking about?”

His continued attempts to lie spark your anger, and coupled with your frustration you end up losing your temper. You burst out at him, shouting louder and _louder_ \- “Don’t play stupid! Of course you do! I told you already I’d _just_ come of age, and I _know_ you can feel how _stupidly reckless_ it is for you to be close to me, **_so why are you risking it!?_** You’re still a _subadult,_ for _Seed’s sake_ , and _you’re_ _trying to **mate with me!!**_ Even if I _were_ a full adult, don't you know I’d end up _**killing you!?** ”_

He flinches back from you, eyes wide as he stares up at you in surprise. You can see the bewilderment on his face, the pure confusion in his eyes. Does he really not know…?

You go quiet, just staring back at him, thinking.

Why was there a subadult out here, anyway? 

...And where was his _adult?_


	21. Chapter 21

You continue to stare at him, a blank look on your face. It makes him uncomfortable and awkward, and he can't hold your eye and starts picking at the grass under his hand. 

He wants to deny what you said, but he can't. He does know how stupid it was, cornering you like that- though to be fair, he hadn't thought _he_ was the one that would be the problem. 

He breathes a shaky exhale as he tries to suppress his still insistent desire, and is only mildly successful. 

He closes his eyes again to work up the resolve, then shakily gets to his feet, one hand using the tree as support. 

His thoughts wander back to your words from before.

But, again, the words you'd used, the way you spoke to him like he should _know_ what you're talking about, even though you're not at all clear; the strange substitution of words that one wouldn't hear in normal conversation…

Subadult and full adult? Coming of age? 

'Essence' of the lake? Their shared 'home'? Her strange glowing skin?

Why would _mating_ with you end up killing him? Why would he die if you had sex?

And lastly - and most importantly - why does getting near you cause such a feeling of anguish, and pain, and _longing?_

His previous shame at his actions is pushed aside as he rediscovers his need to _know_. 

Why do you feel almost _familiar? Why do you feel so strange, but that he's been waiting his whole life to meet you?_

He lifts his head and stares determinedly into your eyes.

\----------------------

You're lost in your own thoughts as you examine him.

He's still trembling on the ground, and he looks away from you, thinking.

He truly doesn't know. You thought maybe you'd been mistaken, but it's true, that look on his face when you'd confronted him wasn't fake. _He truly doesn't know what he is._

You don't know where to go from here. You'd never expected to meet a subadult out here to begin with, let alone know how to introduce one into your world.

You're angry on his behalf. _Where_ in all the Seed's loving embrace, is his _fucking adult?_

They should _be_ here, guiding him, _protecting him_ from the mundanes! Not _abandoning him_ before he even knows that he _should_ be on guard! How is he even still alive right now!?

 _People_ do not take _kindly_ to the seemingly immortal in their midst, who can, with a _whim_ or a _spark of childish anger_ cause a catastrophe of _gargantuan proportions!_

You need to get him some guidance, _now,_ and you were _not_ equipped to take a fully grown subadult under your wing.

But then you pause. You wonder…

Why _hadn't_ he been found out before now?

With no adult to teach him, he should've been discovered - and summarily executed - several hundred years ago, when he was still a child.

But he's here, in front of you now, a fully grown subadult on the cusp of his awakening.

He slowly gets to his feet, leaning heavily on the tree next to him. He seems to come to a decision, because the soft, _contrite_ lines of his body become hard, unyielding will.

He'd been avoiding looking at you all this time, but now his head snaps up and his eyes meet yours, and you see you wont be getting out of this talk unscathed.

You aren't ready for this, but you'll have to be.

\----------------------

As you try to think of how to broach this conversation, of how to explain _everything_ to this dangerously oblivious subadult, you can’t help but liken him to yourself as a child, full of curiosity and determination and the inexhaustible drive to _learn_ from the adults around you.

Oh, how you desperately want an adult to take over now, to just take this responsibility away from you. You want to pretend to still be a child, still sheltered on the island, and have no worries about what was to come next. 

But you're not. _You're_ the adult now, and you've earned your freedom, and now you must own up to it. 

So you straighten your spine and don't run when Sebastian steps up to you, barely a few feet away. You've gotten a firm hold on your void now, and redirect its attention from the _delectable_ morsel in front of you to the wellspring bubbling under your feet. To your relief, you mostly succeed.

"Tell me," he demands. "Tell me, _please._ You know something. I don't know what's going on between us, but you _do,_ don't you?"

You don't know what to say, so you say nothing. His gaze gets a little less hard, and more pleading.

He continues, "I've never been so relaxed around someone else before, like I can just truly be _myself_. I don't even _know_ you! So why do I feel like you - whatever it is that draws me to you - is something I've been _craving_ for as long as I can remember, but could never find?" 

He gives a brief pause, blush creeping over his nose, then musters up his courage to say, "And I've never been so damn _horny_ before, it's like I can't even control my own thoughts. Up until a few days ago, I'd had almost _zero_ sex drive whatsoever. So what is _wrong_ with me?"

It pains your heart to hear him think that there's something abnormal about him, when everything he's described is well known amongst your kind. You close your eyes and take a deep breath, bracing yourself, then meet his gaze. He's watching you with a wary, _hopeful_ look.

"Sebastian. I'll answer everything you want to know, to the best of my ability. You're right- I _do_ know. About you, about our kind, and about what and why you're feeling the way you are. But you confuse me, too. Can you answer my questions first?"

He looks reluctant, but slowly nods. You have his attention. 

You begin with what's been bothering you the most. "What is your true age, Sebastian?"

He looks confused at the seeming non-sequitur. He looks down at himself, then back up to you. 

"I'm 26. Why?"

The tiniest wince crosses your eyes, quickly banished. You try again, "Your _true_ age is 26? And that woman, Robin, is your Mother? Your real Dam? The one who carried you, birthed you, _twenty-six years ago?_ You're sure?"

He can sense how serious you are, but he still nods, confirming your worst fears. You'd really hoped your suspicion had been wrong.

He's getting impatient, shifting from foot to foot, crossing and uncrossing his arms, uncomfortable. He doesn't know where you're going with this, and it's obvious that he's biting his tongue.

"Last one, I promise."

He perks up at that, standing straight and gazing at you with intense focus. It's unnerving.

"Where is your adult, Sebastian? Where is your _sire?"_

\----------------------

He didn’t have one.

His father had left before he was born, so he’d never met the man. Had never even communicated with him- it was like he’d vanished from the face of the earth.

His Mother had told him, once, that it was because she had been careless. That she had seen him one day, standing in the forest where their house stood now, just seeming relaxed in the quiet of the mountain. She’d approached him again and again- this dark, mysterious stranger that captivated her attention with his sparing words.

She’d only known him for a few days before she fell for him. She’d only ever found him when she approached that same spot on the mountain, day after day. He never went anywhere with her, it was always _her_ coming to _him._ She had enjoyed his company, though he would never speak much to her, and afterward they’d just cohabitate in the peace of the forest surrounding them.

And then, not a season later, he was gone.

She had never gotten the chance to tell him she was pregnant. She wasn’t sure if he somehow knew, and that was why she never saw him again. But she continued going to that spot every day, even going so far as to build a small house to stay there permanently, hoping he’d come back.

But after a few years of heartbreak, she’d accepted he’d never come, and decided to move on. She’d met Demetrius when he’d visited the Valley during his Professor days at Zuzu University, and the rest was history. Sebastian had needed a father figure, and she had needed someone to love.

Their family grew, and she expanded the house to fit their needs. She’d tried to build a room for Seb as well, but apparently when he’d been too small to remember, he kept insisting he wanted to be in the cellar and would cry when taken away. She’d eventually just given up and converted it into a bedroom for him, and he’d been there ever since.

He was rambling, he knew, but he was inexplicably nervous. When he’d told you his age, this… _look_ had crossed your face. He didn’t know how to feel about it exactly, but deep in his stomach he’s sure he’d felt _dread_ radiating off of you, and it had only been confirmed when he’d verified that Robin was, in fact, his Mother.

You are staring at the ground now, in deep contemplation. He wants to break you out of it, to _finally_ get you to answer the questions burning in his mind, but he doesn’t want to interrupt whatever you’re trying to figure out.

After a while you look up at him again, and though he can see the reluctance in your eyes, he is relieved. You ready yourself to speak, and he braces himself, but he still isn’t ready for what you say.

You speak slowly. Clearly. There’s no doubt in your words; no possibility that he heard you wrong. And when their meaning finally registers in his brain, he’s reeling. 

“You’re not _human_ , Sebastian.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dunnnn.
> 
> No, really, who would ever be surprised by this?


	22. Chapter 22

This really isn't the place for this conversation. There's plenty of trees to hide behind and eavesdrop, but you're certainly not going into an enclosed space with him again, so you'll have to make do.

You spread your awareness through the network of the forest, checking carefully for any signs of sentient life, and only when you're sure you won't be overheard do you let it fade to the back of your mind, focusing on him again.

He's staring at you. He's silent as he tries to process the bomb you just dropped on him, but you can tell he's struggling. Understandable; you've pretty much destroyed his entire worldview, and you wouldn't be surprised if he tried to deny it.

So you head him off before he gets there, and double down. " _Our_ kind, Sebastian, are not human. We may look like them, and we can hide amongst them well enough, but we're _not them._ And I think, deep down, you know that I'm right."

He's focused on your words, with conflicting emotions on his face- shock, understanding, and then finally _relief_ wins over, as he accepts what you've said as truth.

"But…" He starts, then stops, confusion in his voice. "If not _human,_ what are we?"

"Our kind doesn't have a name. We've been in hiding for so long... it was just best we didn't differentiate ourselves too much. They outnumber us thousands to one now, perhaps tens of thousands - or even _hundreds,_ with how fast they breed - and there's only so many places in the world we can survive. We can't afford to draw attention to ourselves."

You adopt a serious expression and wait until he straightens, subconsciously reflecting the gravity of your next words.

"What matters now is that you know, that _everything_ you're feeling is _normal_ amongst our kind. There's _nothing_ _wrong_ with you. But we _must_ get you some guidance. And, unfortunately for the both of us, it will have to be me."

He relaxes at your reassurance, then winces, almost certainly knowing the reason why it would be a Bad Idea. "I'm sorry. I won't approach you again without warning, or permission."

At your nod, accepting his apology, he continues, "Why must it be you, though? Isn't there anyone else? Not that I _mind_ you, per say, but…" He looks you over again, takes a deep breath, and averts his eyes. "...It would probably be for the best not to."

"I agree. Mixing us together will be asking for trouble. But there's a problem. A _huge fucking problem_ with introducing you to other adults.

"You have a _human_ Mother. By all rights, a half-breed shouldn't exist. As far as I knew, it wasn't actually _possible,_ and yet, here you are. And if others get wind that you're here, well…

"It probably won't end well for you."

\----------

You’d explained that most of their kind were still very _bitter_ regarding humans - and by extension, him and his Mother - and it would be for the best that he lay low until he had the means to protect himself. 

Apparently, humans had a bad habit of repeating history, and the last crusade against their kind, with human technology becoming more and more advanced, had managed to nearly wipe you all out.

Thankfully, it seemed that his _lifespark_ , his _Seed_ as you called it, didn’t seem to have any noticeable difference than any other _subadult_. So long as he pretended to be an _escapee_ rather than a _freak of nature_ \- not your words - he could get away with it.

He felt disappointed, really. He'd finally found the world he truly belonged in, only to find that they wouldn't want him there- a feeling he was all too familiar with. He tries not to let it get to him, but it's difficult when he's felt that way _his entire life,_ and just when he thinks it doesn't have to be that way anymore, to find that _nothing_ had changed. 

It would've been enough to destroy him, if you hadn't been there. You just looked at him with curiosity,and without resentment or disgust in your eyes. 

So, he clung to the hope that his life would get better, now that he had a direction to go in. 

He'd used to think it was toward Zuzu, or beyond, but he'd never managed to really work up the will to leave, despite always saying he would. 

He _hated_ his life at home, but could never really work up the courage to go; never feeling right whenever he left the Valley. Now, he understood, it's because he instinctually _knew_ that if he did, with no good equivalent destination in mind, would be a _very bad idea._

The energy, essence, magic, whatever you wanted to call it - though you'd insisted it was called _aether_ \- was necessary to keep non-adults alive. A short visit elsewhere was alright, but the thought of moving away permanently? Anathema. 

As much as he wanted to escape his current life, it was no wonder why he was never able to. 

Trapped, indeed. 

\----------

You'd promised to help him, and he eagerly pounced on that opportunity. There was so much he wanted to know, but he didn’t know where to _begin_. 

He’d felt like he never belonged among the people he had known his entire life, that he couldn’t trust them not to betray him if they were ever to know the real him. Even the person who had grown up with him, that he regarded as close to him as a blood brother, he couldn't help but keep secrets from, never _truly_ feeling that he could fully understand him. And, it turns out, he was _right._

But now, he’d met someone _like him._ Someone he didn’t feel the need to hide from, and better yet, could actually help him work through everything he’d ever considered _abnormal._

Now he just had to figure out how to _start!_

Maddening.

You lead him further into your forest-farm, until you take a seat next to a small, shallow stream. He takes a seat a few feet away from you, and actively notes for the first time that your _threatening_ aura isn't nearly so overwhelming anymore.

He wonders if that would mean he could touch you, soon.

His eyes, against his will, start roaming down your body again, taking in how the clothes hugged your curves, the flash of bare skin as you shift. You clear your throat and his gaze darts back up to your face, and is again dazed at the alluring makeup upon you.

He snaps back to attention as you start speaking, feeling a little guilty where his thoughts had started to head.

"I imagine I'm probably only the second of our kind you've ever met, so it's no wonder why you've been feeling the lack of like companionship. If I were completely alone for _my_ first quarter of a century, not knowing why I was different... it probably would've driven me mad."

He's confused. The second? He hadn't thought he'd ever met anyone else before- the first he'd ever _felt_ anything was with you.

"There's a couple adults living here in the Valley as well. The one who lives just next to you, Elder Linus, told me he'd tried to guide you when he'd first moved in, but you weren't interested."

Ah, he remembered that. But the sixteen year old Sebastian was understandably put off by some old man dressed in foliage suddenly moving in and taking an interest in him, and had steered clear of him ever since.

"Probably best for that. He wouldn't have assumed the same about you that I had, otherwise."

...And what was that?

You sheepishly admit, "Well… I'd thought you were posing as that woman's fully grown, adopted son. Considering how _tempting_ your land is… well, I've heard of much worse. And the illusions adults can weave can be very _convincing._ I'd assumed yours, whoever was caring for you, had set you up with that family so you could claim that wellspring."

His… land? Wellspring?

"Can you not feel it? Even as a Child, you said you'd refused to be parted from it. You feel the warmth of your home, do you not? The aether is practically _gushing_ out of the earth, there."

Understanding floods him. Yes, he loved how warm, dark, and quiet his basement-room was, even when the rest of his family complained about its freezing temperature. 

He backed up a bit, and latched on to something you'd said earlier. First quarter of a century… just how old _were_ you?

"Rude. You don't just ask someone how _old_ they are, Sebastian."

He's contrite, for a moment, before he realizes you did the same thing. 

You chuckle, "Sure did, and felt bad every moment of it. But, quid pro quo, I suppose- subadults can get anywhere from 220 to a record 503 years before the Sundering of their spark launches them into adulthood. And that's all I'll say about me, thankyou."

He's taken aback. _Two to five hundred-!?_

"Don't make it out to be weirder than it is, Sebastian. Some of us are late bloomers, is all. Or, in your case, _massively early._ When did you reach full maturity, anyway? Did you grow as quickly as the mundanes do?"

He supposes he did, though he recalls he was very _small_ up until he hit puberty at about 15; then was the tallest of his friends. 

He still couldn't get over the shock from earlier. _That meant that you were-!!_

"Alright already, drop it, sheesh." Your face is red, and judging from the frown on your face, it isn't all from embarrassment. 

He notes you look rather good for being over two hundred years old. 

He bites his tongue and tries to move on. 

So, what is their home like? What had you meant by _outside?_

"Outside meaning, the world outside our home island. It was long ago found to be the richest aether source pouring out of the planet, and was thus guaranteed to never run out- the perfect spot to bring new life into the world. Subadults aren't allowed to leave until they become adults, for _various_ reasons, but mostly just protection. We have to protect the young; there's not a lot of us left." You frown, then continue. 

"It has a few active volcanoes that are always spewing fire and earthen aether into the air, and it's located somewhere in the middle of the ocean." You shrug casually, as if not knowing exactly where it was didn't _matter._ He's aghast. What if you ever wanted to go back?

"Then I'll take one of the transportation platforms, same as when I came out. But even if I wanted to - and I _don't_ just yet, I was trapped there long enough - I can't just pop in, I need permission. There's not enough aether on the island to support the subadults and children already there, let alone with adults popping in without warning."

He's curious why their kind would still use it as their home then, if the aether was decreasing?

"It's not that the level of aether is going _down-_ it's as strong, or even stronger, than it ever was. We're just in a population boom at the moment. We had to recover from the last genocide, and the island is at capacity now. It'll get better as more come of age, though.

"There's only our kind on the island, and it's protected by a barrier now to hide it from the mundanes' eyes in the sky. We do, thankfully, keep up with what they're doing, and have even incorporated some of their latest industries. Know thy enemy, and all."

He's uncomfortable at the mention of his origin. Do you feel that way about him?

"If I did, I wouldn't be here right now, so don't worry. I'm not old enough to remember the last time we clashed with the mundanes, so I don't have anything personally against them. The ones in this Valley, especially- my Grandfather gifted them to me on his deathbed, and I feel a special attachment to these little lives he once knew. Come to think of it, he might've met you, at some point? Do you remember him?"

He didn't, sadly. He'd only heard stories of the friendly, but rather eccentric, old man that used to live on the farm before moving back home when it got too much for his old body to handle. 

"Ha, that was him alright. Very friendly, always laughing… and yes, very eccentric. I miss him." You smile sadly, staring at the ground and reminiscing. "He said his goodbyes here and moved back home, for a brief period. I watched him leave, and it was a beautiful, haunting spectacle, watching such a full life leave this world.

"He entrusted me with coming here, so I'll do everything in my power to protect the people of this Valley.

"And that includes _you_ , Sebastian."


	23. Chapter 23

"First," You say, "We should find out what element you most align with. If it's a dangerous mix with mine, we'll need to be very careful going forward."

He queries what you mean. What elements- that standard Earth, Fire, Water, Air that you usually see in video games?

"Sort of. Some of our history with the mundanes still exists, in their folklore and mythology. Besides those, there are more- Lightning, Ice, Shadow, and so on. Some individuals of our kind learn others as well, with enough guidance."

He's excited at the thought. What, if anything, would he be able to do?

"Well, my innate element is Water. It can't ever really hurt me, and I can control it to an extent, which will get better the older I become. Here, I'll show you an example."

You dip your hand into the stream beside you, and when you pull it back again, _it follows you,_ clinging and bubbling around your skin. You bring your hand down over your face, just once, and suddenly all that distracting, smoky makeup is gone, and the water is murky.

You roll the water into a ball and then squeeze, and the water flows between your clenched fingers, clear again, and you direct it back into the stream. You open your hand and show him the clump of desiccated cosmetics, which you tuck away to dispose of later. 

He's amazed. As much as he had wanted to believe it before, seeing undeniable _proof_ right in front of his eyes had his heart stuttering in his chest. He could actually become a mage? _A real wizard??_

He can't stop himself from beaming.

\----------------

His excitement is contagious, and you can't help but grin back at him. Maybe this won't be so bad, after all.

“So, our elements usually manifest when we’re children. Is there anything you can remember when you were growing up that you couldn’t quite explain? Or anything that you were particularly _drawn_ to?”

He looks pensive, staring at the ground as he tries to remember.

“I don’t… think so? I was labeled a problem child, sure, but I didn’t, like... start fires or something. And I don’t recall being particularly enthralled by anything, either.”

You sit there and think. If Sebastian doesn’t have any inklings, you’ll just have to experiment until you find what works.

You surge to your feet, startling him into standing as well. You smile softly at him and gesture to the stream beside you.

“Well, we’ll just have to keep trying ‘til we find it, then! Let’s start here. Go ahead and _feel_ the aether in this water. Take a moment, soak it in, _embrace it._ Then, tell me what you’ve experienced.”

He looks nervous, and there’s a glimmer of excitement in his eye. He kneels down next to the stream quickly, and practically shoves his hands in, closing his eyes and concentrating.

He’s there for a few minutes, and you wait, patiently. It takes him a while, but you eventually feel him connect to the fast-flowing aether, and start to draw some of it into his spark. Your void gives a dull throb, and you harshly turn inward to redirect it back to the energy bubbling under your feet.

When you focus outward again, he’s looking up at you with disappointment on his face, his hands dangling above the water but no discernible manipulation having happened.

“Anything?” You ask him. “Even just a bit of warmth?”

He nods slowly, a little less depressed. “Yea, I could feel that, just a little bit flowing up my arms to settle in my chest. Is that good?”

“In the sense that you could feel the aether and draw it in, yes. But I don’t think your element will be Water. Shame- it’s the best one.” You grin at him to ease his let-down, and he smiles back at you. “Let’s move on, shall we?”

He nods quickly, agreeing.

\----------------

Using the deep cave on your property, you quickly find that it isn't Shadow or Earth, and he has no particular connection with the animals around you, so it isn't Life. And it was _especially_ not Light, as Sebastian had merely squinted up at the sun and practically recoiled away from it. 

That left Metal, Air, Ice, Fire, and Lightning.

Of the five, Metal was the easiest thing for you to come into contact with. You led him back toward your home, thinking.

He was getting more and more despondent at his lack of success, so you directed him back toward his childhood memories to see if there was anything he could remember about the remaining elements. He followed closely behind you through the trees, lost in thought.

You clench your jaw and keep a firm grasp on your void, _oh so tempted to just reach back and-_

You shake your head sharply, and return to the matter at hand.

Grabbing your pickaxe from the storage chest by your porch, you turn around and hold it out toward him with one arm, and he practically runs into it point-first as he almost steps too close. He startles back to awareness, then looks down at it.

Taking it gingerly, like he’s never held such a tool in his life, you let go and he practically drops the heavy thing on his foot. He yelps, then holds it close to him. 

“Yoba this is heavy. How were you holding it up so easily??”

You snort, then smile at him. “You can do it, too, even as a subadult. Tease the aether away from your Seed and inject that warmth into your muscles. You’ll soon find yourself _much_ stronger.”

He tries to do as you say, and you aren’t sure how you feel when you see him struggling. For a Child just getting the hang of their body, sure, but for an almost-adult…

Pity, you think. Or sympathy.

But he catches on quickly, at least. It gets easier and easier for him to hold it as he recognizes which muscles were burning and how to direct his aether to better support them. He’s soon holding it with the same ease that you had just moments ago, and he looks at it in awe.

“It’s so _easy…_ it’s like I’m holding nothing, now.” He looks up sharply, “Could I do the same thing everywhere, all at once? Be a super athlete or something?”

“You could, with practice.” You say, then shift your look into stern warning. “I’d advise against it though. One, because it would exhaust you too quickly, as you are. You need to build up your, let’s say _stamina,_ first. And Two, because it would _out_ you to the mundanes. You need to _hide,_ remember?”

He nods, but still looks excited. Seed, he’s going to be trouble, this one.

\----------------

It’s not Metal, either. He had felt a bit more connection to it than the others, though. Perhaps something about the actual tool resonated with him- they did used to belong to your Ancient Grandfather, after all.

It would be a bit hard to come across ice this time of year, and you weren’t about to start a massive bonfire in the middle of your forest-farm, so you decide you’ll try Air. Best leave Lightning for a stormy day- you certainly weren’t going to drag him before Rasmodius to test it. _Hey would you mind throwing some lightning at my subadult friend here? We’re trying to figure out what element he is._

Yea, presenting an elemental-less subadult before the experiment-happy Wizard would be a _great_ way to get him a bit _too_ interested, so you weren't particularly thrilled with the idea. You are keeping him far, _far_ away.

You’re resigned to having to climb the mountain again this morning, and sigh in exhaustion. You’re reminded that, before Sebastian had arrived earlier that day, you had been trying to wind down and readjust your sleep schedule. You suppose that won’t be happening now, with him doggedly on your heels.

You ask him where the best place would be to get the best view of the surrounding area on the mountain. Preferably somewhere high, on a cliff’s edge, so nothing could be felt around you but wind. The place where you and Robin had your _chat_ came to mind, but you didn’t want to test him so close to others.

He suggested the top of the mountain, if you both could get past the landslide blocking the way. You were intrigued, until you realized that it was literally next to Linus’ campsite, and you did _not_ need him interested in why you and Sebastian were trying to get through. Even if he could accept the two of you kept company - _especially after the near disaster he had to rescue you both from -_ he wouldn’t approve of a new adult getting so cozy with the vulnerable subadult, at least not until you had mastered control of yourself.

His second suggestion seemed better- the bridge to the old Quarry had fallen in long ago, but it still sat atop a rather high gorge. Good enough, you decide.

To try and avoid Linus as much as possible, and perhaps also to try to avoid climbing the mountain for as _long_ as possible, you suggest going through town. It’s getting close to noon at this point anyway, and you could hear his stomach rumbling.

He agrees at the thought of food, and waits outside your home as you gather your belongings, far away and in clear sight from your window. You’re grateful for that. You collect your scattered parsnips and grab other foraged items you wanted to sell, and then you and Sebastian set off to town.

You stop in at Pierre’s first, and Sebastian roams the shelves looking for snacks as you negotiate with the store owner on a good price. You drive up a hard bargain, with how splendid they looked and how big they were and how it was _the first of many_ and how you were _so looking forward to getting more seeds,_ and he totally caved. At the last moment, since you were so happy to get good money for them, you decide to hold back the best of the bunch to give to Sebastian later. Might as well get him on some _real_ food.

You pick up a variety of different seeds, including more parsnips for Lewis, and look hopeful at the _very expensive_ cauliflower, hoping they’ll turn a big profit. You’re especially happy to pick up Pierre’s only coffee bean, as he explained it would continue to produce all through the Summer season as well.

Sebastian paid for his goodies as well, and you slowly and reluctantly started up the stairs next to the shop with your heavy bag. You subtly shift it in your grip, using the same strength trick you taught Sebastian earlier, as he tears open a bag of chips and starts munching. He offers you some, but you decline.

Delicious, yes, but oh so unhealthy. You’re very glad you saved one of your best produce for him now.

Spying the abandoned building at the top of the stairs, you turn and start to lead Sebastian toward it. Might as well get him introduced to the natives as well. He tilts his head at you, confused, but he follows, throwing away the empty bag in a nearby trashcan. Pulling out the other parsnip you saved, you knock gently on the door.

“Nobody lives here; it’s the community center. When it was still in good repair, we could just walk right in any time, day or night. I think Lewis locked it once it got dangerous, though.” He looked at the building, slightly interested in why you’d stopped there. You just smiled at him over your shoulder.

He jumps when the door is suddenly answered, then is confused when no one is there. He looks toward you. “Did you do that?”

“Nah, that would be impolite. Come, they’re inviting us inside.”

You wave him to step through before you, not quite trusting him at your back yet in an enclosed space, even if there’d likely be assistance if you needed it. He heads inside and stops in the middle of the room, taking in the somber, _dead_ atmosphere of the building with a sad look in his eye, then asks you, “Who invited us? I don’t see anyone.”

“No?” You point toward the grass hut in the corner of the room. “How about over there?”

He seems to notice it for the first time, and stops in place, brow furrowing as he tries to figure out why it seems so _strange._

You kneel in front of the grass hut again, and put the parsnip and the associated scroll open on the floor. “Another gift for you. I’ve got the seeds for the others- please be patient.”

Sebastian narrows his eyes at you, and then they widen comically when a little green apple creature leans out of the hut and chirps. You smile back and wave as it directs the parsnip into the scroll with a flash. It pauses and looks at Sebastian for a moment, then waves and chirps at him too, before it ducks back out of sight.

You had to snap your fingers in front of his face to get his attention, but after that you both exit the building and gently shut the door behind you.

“What was that… apple? Did it always live there?” He looks back at the building, intrigued.

“Junimos, I’ve been told. Ancient forest spirits. I don’t know if they’ve _always_ been there; you would know that better than me.”

“Huh.” He says eloquently. “Should I be giving them gifts, too?”

“...Not sure, actually. They requested them from me with the scrolls, and since I want to stay on their good side, I provide them. You were born here though, so you _probably_ don’t need their permission to stay?”

He’s silent for a moment. “I think I will, anyway. Like you said, best to stay on their good side. And…” He pauses for a moment, a bit embarrassed, but glances at you and continues, “...they’re kinda cute. The way it said ‘Gud-bai’...”

You stare at him for a moment. He could _understand them!?_

You’re suddenly envious. You had to drink a nasty potion and be out for most of a day, and even then you only got vague impressions of what they were saying. And _he_ could hear actual words.

He’s a bit nervous at the look on your face, and you try to tone it down a little, for his sake. It wasn’t his fault; he _was_ born here, after all. He had more of a claim to this land, and its spirits, than you did.

You did at least get something good out of that elixir, though, as so far you’ve found your connection to the forest to be incredibly helpful. You start up the path again with Sebastian at your side, and you wonder if he also has that ability?

You’ll have to test it soon. It would be nice to have an extra set of eyes keeping watch, for all these lessons.


	24. Chapter 24

He was a bit embarrassed as he followed you up the mountain. You hadn’t said anything after he’d said the Junimos were cute, only giving him a kind of _What the Fuck!?_ look, and it had made him self-conscious. Perhaps he shouldn’t be quite so open… just because they were of the same kind, didn’t mean you had to _like_ him.

He coughed to himself and decided to pretend it hadn’t happened.

It was still only midday as they approached nearer to his house, and he knew, since it was Sunday, his family wouldn’t have even bothered to go outside yet, so they were in the clear. They hugged the cliffside anyway and took the long way around the house, and were soon approaching the lake.

His curiosity piqued as he remembered that night, and he couldn’t help but ask why had he seen you _glowing_ after that fish swam away?

You suddenly halt in place, put your finger to your lips, and give him a slight glare. Your eyes unfocus for a moment and you’re gone. Before he could get alarmed, you were back, with a quiet relieved sigh.

You wave at him to continue leading the way, and he took the reminder to stay quiet until they got there.

He leads you northward around the lake, and kicks the rubble from the recent used-to-be-boulder blocking the way out of your path. He’s getting very, very curious, but he wants to show he takes your warnings seriously, so he silently leads you past the Adventurer’s guild - not yet open - and down to the broken bridge by the quarry.

Your face lights up as you see it- he figures it must suit your needs, then. You bravely step up to the broken edge of the bridge and stand there, head tilted up, as wind from the gorge blows your hair back.

He can only stare at the serene look on your face.

You turn towards him and smile. You gesture for him to join you, and he too steps up to the edge. The wind surrounds him, blowing his clothes every which way, and he closes his eyes and _feels._

The process is getting easier with the more practice he gets, and he can sense the aether flowing through the wind surrounding him. He wills it into him, but it responds sluggishly. He tries to do something, _anything_ to have it bend to his will, but it’s stubbornly non-compliant. He opens his eyes, frowning, and sighs. He supposes Air wasn’t his Element, either.

He steps back and joins you, who suddenly was back on safe ground. He was getting used to that, being so unaware of his surroundings as he concentrated, but at least he was getting faster at it. Still, he was glad you were there to watch his back.

“So not Air either, then.” You frown. “That’ll make testing the rest of them tricky. We need more than some ice cubes or a lighter to test the others. And if those don’t work, we’ll have to wait until the next lightning storm blows through.”

“We can always go down to the mines,” He suggests. “Halfway down are the ice caverns, and near the bottom are the lava caves. The elevator has been out of order since forever, though; we’ll have to get down there by ladder.”

He’s reluctant to continue, really, even though he’s still excited at the thought of controlling an element. What if, being only half their kind, he doesn’t even have one? He doesn’t want to bear the disappointment…

But you seem emboldened by the idea. “There’s really all that stuff down in some old mines? This Valley really _is_ great!”

He twitches a bit, but you seem genuinely pleased, so he doesn’t say anything. You ask him to lead the way.

“Ah, sure, but we should stop by my room first. We need weapons; there’s monsters down in those caves.”

You frown, and think. You don’t really want to halt your momentum, it being the only thing really getting you through the day at this point, but you suppose you could use the break.

You sit at the edge of the lake and yawn, and ask him to please retrieve whatever weapons he has… you’ll just wait there for a moment.

He understands the seemingly unspoken cue that you don’t want to join him in his room, so he just nods and jogs away.

\----------------

He passes Maru on his way in, as she was heading out on her usual walk down to the bench near the community center, to appreciate nature or whatever she did. He stolidly ignores her as he walks in, and she looks after him sadly, but doesn’t say anything and continues on her way.

He takes the steps down to his room two at a time and as he opens the door, feels the flood of what he now knows as _aether_ rush out and wash over him, instantly soothing him with its warmth.

He takes breath after deep breath, refreshing himself, and closes his door behind him out of habit. He kneels to look under his bed, and grabs out an old box from beneath it.

Sorting through all the old belongings he didn’t need anymore but hadn’t wanted to throw away, he thankfully came across a small carving knife and- _oh there was his lost mace._

He’d wondered where that went.

Shoving the box back under his bed with his foot, he took a moment to sit down on the edge of his mattress. Surely you’d appreciate a bit of a longer break, as he took one as well. He needed to digest everything you’d told him today- it was a _lot_ of information.

So, he wasn’t human, huh. Now that you’d said it, it seemed so _glaringly obvious,_ just staring him in the face his whole life. But how was he to know better?

Trying to fit in with the people around him was difficult as it was, _before_ he knew; now he thought it might be impossible. He frowned. Surely he could keep the relationships he already had, though?

He thought of Sam, and Abigail, and his Mom- the only three people in this town he gave any sort of damn about. He wouldn’t lose them, now that he was being given access to a completely different world, right…?

He lay back on his bed, frowning deeply as he thought. 

And, even if things could continue as they always had with his friends… thinking about how _long_ their kind lived, did that mean he would outlast them?

Or even, lose them in only a couple of decades, when they visibly aged and he didn’t? 

Or would he have the lifespan of a human, and it was a moot point anyway?

He didn’t want to stay in the Valley for his whole life, but if he ended up taking _hundreds of years_ to become a full adult, he wouldn’t really know what to do. After his friends left, or _died_ \- he cringed as he thought this - what would he do then? It was unlikely he’d ever make friends with regular people again, with how awkward he was, so would he become a hermit and live in the mountain forever, even more lonely?

Or Yoba, would he lose his _house?_ How was he meant to stay here in his supposed claimed land forever? Especially if Maru had kids, or something...

He really liked his wellspring, and didn’t want to give it up.

Maybe he should go back and ask these questions of you- surely you’d be able to at least help him work through the what-ifs and possible solutions.

He rolled out of bed, grabbed the two weapons, and left his room.

\----------------

He approached where he’d left you, but didn’t see you immediately.

Stopping where he’d left you at the edge of the lake, he looked around. Where did you go?

He sat cross-legged where you’d been, and decided to wait until you came back from wherever you were. He didn’t notice any signs of a scuffle nearby, so he assumed you’d just wandered off and would be back shortly. You wouldn’t leave him out here, right?

He let his thoughts wander, slowly going over and memorizing everything you’d said to him today, and convincing himself that everything he’d seen and been told today was _real,_ and he hadn’t been imagining it.

He turned inward, zoning out from the world around him, as he tried to examine this _Seed_ in his chest.

It didn’t appear to have a definite shape, just a mass of warmth hovering over his heart. He could tease at and play with some strands of aether circling lazily around it, but most were held tight into a sphere he couldn’t pry apart, no matter how hard he tried.

He supposed that meant he was seeing the limit of what he could do, right now. To build up his _stamina…_ would mean just absorbing more aether, at this point? Or was it like muscles- having to use it to build?

He’s lost in his thoughts for a while, and early afternoon had arrived before he knew it, and you still hadn’t come back. _Where were you?_

He didn’t really want to provoke that giant fish he’d seen back then, but without much else to do, he dipped one hand into the water and focused on practicing absorbing the aether. With how slowly he progressed, surely it wouldn’t bother the thing, but he kept an eye out for it anyway.

As his eyes roamed the water, searching for the possible swift repercussions of his actions, his eyes zero’d in on a slightly out-of-place object at the lake bottom. He didn’t remember seeing that there before, even if he usually viewed it from a different angle…

His heart stopped and his breath hitched as he _recognized those colors._

He was jumping into the lake before he knew it, and was diving down to the bottom. _Oh Yoba, you’d fallen in, how could he not have noticed- you’re surely dead by now you’ve been down there for_ **_hours…!_ **

He hoped, and prayed, and _pleaded_ with the Gods that you’d be okay.

\----------------

You _are_ okay, of course, you were just resting at the lake bottom, dozing lightly as you waited and lost track of time. The divine fish had visited you once already, but you just sent feelings of sorrow and apology at it, and it had left you alone.

You’d only noticed Sebastian was back when he was diving down to get you, and had almost grabbed your arm before you snapped your eyes open and yanked it away. He was startled at your sudden movement, and let out a bunch of bubbles from his nose. You gestured for him to surface, and he quickly followed your direction, running out of breath.

You followed at a more sedate pace, keeping the calm after his frantic thrashing in the water. You surfaced quietly as he floated, sputtering for breath, and quickly sensed around you to see if the commotion had been noticed.

Unfortunately, you see an old man with an eyepatch standing outside the house you’d passed earlier, staring at both of you. Great. You’ll have to think quickly for this one.

You help Sebastian get to the shore by subtly pushing waves at him under the surface until he is clinging to the edge, then climb out easily yourself. The old man had approached and had helped the subadult crawl onto the shore as he panted for breath, saving you the awkward explanation of why you wouldn’t help pull your friend out of the water.

You cross your arms over your chest, not daring to disperse the water from your clothes, and put up with the two males possibly getting an eyeful. Sebastian slowly catches his breath then looks up at you, eyes crossing frantically over your form to make sure you’re okay. Once he realizes you’re perfectly fine, he turns to the old man and thanks him for his help.

“What were you two kids doing down there?” He scowled in concern. “With the way that one jumped in I was expecting to find someone had drowned, but you appear to be alright, miss.” He looked you over with a critical eye.

“Ah, yea, I had dived under the water to look at something, and I must’ve startled him when I didn’t come back up. I can hold my breath for a very long time, you see, and hadn’t actually told him that. I’m sorry about the disruption, Sir; thank you for coming over to help us.”

The old man glanced over to Sebastian again as he got his breath under control, and he nodded to verify your story. He gasped out, “Yes, sorry Marlon, she’d scared me. I couldn’t see her for so long, I thought she’d gotten caught by something under the water.”

Marlon lost the rest of his skepticism and nodded, seemingly convinced by your story. As Sebastian was still recovering, he invited you both inside his Guild to sit by the fireplace until your clothes dried. You were about to decline, intending to say Sebastian’s house was just around the corner, but the subadult surprised you by accepting the invitation. You raised your eyebrows but followed the two males into the building.

Moving to seat yourself by the fire, you clamped down on your void and sat as close to Sebastian as you dared- apparently, if you were such good friends you’d hang out by the lake together and he’d jump in to save you, it would be rather _odd_ if you sat as far away from him as you wanted to. Sebastian tensed as your knee practically brushed his, hands clasping tightly together over his lap, not daring to move and breathing shallow. He glanced at you from the corner of his eye.

You want to question him as to why you were both now here, but the even older man in the rocking chair next to him dissuades you from that idea. You just turn to stare into the flames instead, pretending to zone out, but very closely monitoring the two mundanes on either side of you for any suspicion as you slowly tease the water from both your clothes. You want out of here as soon as possible.

Sebastian was finally breathing easy, and was also staring vacantly into the flames in front of you. His face started flushing, very gradually, as whatever took over his mind made him embarrassed. You wished you knew what that was- it would help ease your tension.

You weren’t particularly _keen_ to be surrounded by two older men who looked like they knew their way around a weapon or two, especially if you had to protect the subadult at the same time. _This better be worth it, Sebastian._

\----------------

He stared into the flames as he replayed the previous events in his head. Diving in to save you, pleading that you were alright… and he’d forgotten that just earlier that day, you’d said that water practically couldn’t hurt you.

But it was pure instinct- he _couldn’t_ lose you, not when he’d just found you! And for his entire life he’d been taught _breathing water is bad,_ so he hadn’t thought, he’d just acted.

He felt ridiculous now, and a blush started high on his cheeks. Stupid, stupid, _stupid._ And to top it all off, you’d both been spotted by probably the worst person in town for this. If anyone were suspicious enough to notice danger and daring enough to do something about it, it was Marlon and Gil. The lie you’d told was a good start, and he used his previous relationship as _a local_ to clinch the deal and throw them off your backs, but he was still wary that you’d be caught, so he’d accepted the gracious invitation to come inside- an offer not extended to just _anybody._ He’d obviously been concerned about you two.

His senses were still very new, but he tuned into the slight feeling that you were doing something nearby, and in his mind’s eye he watched you as you manipulated the water out of both your clothes. He almost felt that he could understand its properties a little easier, now.

He also caught your hard side-eye you threw at him before staring back into the fire. You obviously weren’t pleased. But, besides throwing off their suspicion, he _did_ have another reason why he wanted to come in here.

When he’d thrown himself in to save you, he’d still had the two weapons resting in his lap, and he hadn’t the forethought to throw them away before jumping into the water. The mace, being slightly heavier, had thankfully fallen into the grass at the very edge of the water, but the tiny - _and thankfully sheathed_ \- dagger had fallen into the water and had sunk to the bottom. He didn’t think either of you would be getting that back anytime soon.

So as he felt himself dry, he carefully stood up and stepped around you, and approached Marlon as he busied himself behind the desk.

“Marlon, how much would it be to buy a replacement dagger? I accidentally lost mine in the lake, just now.”

He could make up an elaborate lie, he’d had enough practice with that, but thought he shouldn’t try it on a man as shrewd as he, especially not right after he’d bought the other, _more important_ one. So, he sucked it up.

Marlon raised a brow at him. “And just why, young man, were you carrying a dagger with you in the first place? Let alone on a...” He looked over at you. “Supposed date?”

You snap your head over, eyes wide, and stare at him but say nothing.

“Ah..” He rubs a loose fist over his face in embarrassment. “That wasn’t a date, Marlon. We had been intending to go down into the mines, but had gotten… sidetracked.”

The old man chuckled at his red face, before his own sobered as he looked at him, then at you.

“Sidetracked, huh… I know a thing or two about getting _sidetracked_ in the mines, boy.” He gestured to his missing eye. “Why should I allow you two down there?”

“We _need_ to go- to find something that we can’t get without going ourselves. As much as I don’t want to clash with the creatures down there, we’ll have to, and I need a second weapon for us to be safe.”

The old man hums, and looks him over thoughtfully. After a long moment, he gives a slow nod.

“Alright boy, I believe you. You still remember how to fight? And you, miss, have you ever held a weapon before?”

You both nod seriously, and Marlon nods in return.

“Very well. Here’s what I have for sale now for beginners; take your pick.” He gestures to a section of the wall behind him. You get up and come over to stand beside Sebastian, and look over the wall. You raise your brow at him but he just shakes his head, and says he still has his, so to get what you’re comfortable with.

You point to a light metal sword and ask to test it. Once in your hands you move away from the others and test the balance, then swing it a few times. Nodding in satisfaction, you hand it back to the store owner.

“That one, please.” You say quietly. “How much is it?”

Sebastian tries to offer the gold when told, but you beat him to it, shaking your head. He frowns, but the transaction is already done. You strap it onto your waist.

“Thank you very much for your generosity, Mister Marlon. I hope I’ll see you around again soon.” You give a slight curtsy, wait for his responding nod, then wave and turn to walk out. Sebastian waves at the old men and quickly follows you.

You wait until you’re away from the building to breathe a sigh of relief. He does the same.

Picking up his mace - almost lost yet again - he then leads you to the mine entrance just west of the building you had exited, but you keep walking across the bridge and into the trees. He follows you, tentatively, until you’re on the island at the center of the lake again. 

You take a seat, and pat the ground next to you. He sits a little further away, this time- the closeness from earlier was a bit _thrilling…_ but he got the sense that physical touch was still a big nono for both of you, right now. Still, he marvels how much closer he can stand to be near you in less than a week.

He glances over at your still-damp clothes - for the benefit of the men, no doubt - and huffs through his nose in disappointment that he still can’t touch you. 

Well, at least he wasn’t weak-kneed and terrified around you anymore.

“I imagine you have more questions for me right now, and it’s best we can stay out here in the forest, where I have a better idea of what’s around us.”

“I do,” he replies. “Are we safe enough to talk freely, then?”

You nod, and he releases the tension he’d been holding since they’d left the Guild. 

Time to sate his curiosity, then.


	25. Chapter 25

“First off,” You say, holding out your hand. “Give me your phone.”

He blinks, then realizes with horror on his face that he’d jumped into the lake with it _still in his pocket._ He frantically digs it out and looks at all the condensation under the screen.

“C’mon now,” You wave your hand at him, impatient. “I did what I could from a distance, but I need to finish it while there’s still time.”

He quickly hands it over, and you concentrate. Water flows out from inside, and he winces. 

But you surprise him by handing it back to him, saying it would be fine. He turns it on and sees, with a sigh of relief, his regular screensaver and that it responded to him as fast as it always had. He thanks you profusely.

“No problem. Was my fault, anyway. I should’ve told you I’d be down there, but I hadn’t thought of going in until after you’d gone.”

He starts to protest, then snaps his mouth shut and blushes, looking down and away from you.

“...I’m sorry for overreacting,” he says. “I’d forgotten you’d said it couldn’t hurt you, and I panicked.”

You look up at him, taking in his red face, and are struck with… perhaps happiness? You’re not used to someone actually caring for _you,_ and not just because you were a youngling. You hadn’t any peers you were close to, back on the home island - none of you did, really, being mostly solitary creatures - so his _worry_ was a foreign feeling for you.

You decide you like it, and your lips curve in a soft smile at him.

“Thank you for caring about me, Sebastian.”

His face goes from merely red to practically _shining._ “I-I... that is... _of course!”_

He can’t say any more, but it’s fine, you’re content with that. You look back out over the lake, then close your eyes. Beside you, he gradually calms, until he clears his throat to get your attention.

“Mm?” You hum, not moving.

“So, um, Lily… how should we start? This conversation, I mean.” He mutters. “I have so much I want to know, but I don’t know how to begin.”

“Call me Liliana, Sebastian. You have the right to use that name. I only give out Lily to the mundanes.”

He calls your name quietly, testing it on his tongue. It makes you shiver.

You hum again, distracted, and decide now would be a good time to see what he can do.

\----------------

He’s concentrating, eyes clamped shut and sweat rolling down his temple as he tries to sense the forest network around them. You’d described what you experienced after your own connection, via that vile elixir, and how you’d been able to be inside every tree, every leaf, every vine in the forest, able to sense and see everything around you. You wanted him to be able to do that, too- and hopefully help him know when it was safe to bring up certain _topics_.

He had his palm placed on the tree next to him and was exploring the internal structure of the plant, and familiarizing himself with its _life_ and how it _lived._ Then, with careful guidance as your senses brushed against his, you led him down into the roots and into the connecting plant life nearby. He wandered, and became more bold as he got used to the sensations of being outside his body. You stuck close by, ready to retrieve him if he lost himself.

But he was fine, and eventually, as he started to tire, was able to navigate back to himself quickly, as if pulled by a string or rubber band. He let out an exhausted sigh as he opened his eyes, then grinned widely at you when you did the same.

“That was great! You said you weren’t able to do this before ingesting, uh, forest essence? How did you figure I’d be able to do it, too?” He asked, still high with excitement.

“When you’d said you could understand the Junimos. I was a bit shocked when I heard that- I couldn’t understand them at all when I came, and even now I only get impressions of what they mean, but apparently _you_ can understand _words._ I’m rather envious, but those are the perks of being born here, I guess.” You shrug dismissively.

He pauses for a moment, thinking over your words. Envious of his ability to understand the forest spirits… perhaps you hadn’t been reacting to that ‘cute’ comment after all?

He could only hope.

You task him with _always_ searching their surroundings before bringing up _any_ sensitive topic, no matter what. He, still wanting to convince you he was taking your guidance very seriously, just nods immediately.

And, after a brief moment, you also let him know, without outright saying it, that the forest wasn’t necessarily a _private place_ for _certain activities-_ at least, not among those who could _link in._

He’d looked a bit confused at you, and then instantly flushed red, _again,_ at the implications, which brought up a rather uncomfortable but necessary topic- _the surge in his sex drive._

“I… can guess what brought it upon you, seeing as you were running away directly after I’d been cleansing myself. Do you know what happened to you, though?”

Not really, he admitted. He hadn’t been expecting to stumble upon you like that - he’s staring resolutely at the dirt in front of him, not having the courage to look at you - and was suddenly hit with such intense _desire_ that he’d had to leave, immediately.

He quickly tries to reassure you that he had taken multiple cold showers when he got home… and at your raised eyebrow, reluctantly admitted that it hadn’t helped at all.

“That’s about what I expected. You’d gone into heat, Sebastian. That isn’t something that goes away _quickly,_ and quite frankly I’m impressed you got away with only giving in to it just the once.”

He was still blushing, looking away from you, and could say nothing.

“As to the _why-_ well, I can’t say for sure. Mating is… an adult activity, obviously. Subadults aren’t meant to be sexually mature until after their Sundering, so it’s no wonder you’ve gone this long without feeling the need. I’m sorry that the mundanes made you feel that there was something wrong with you.

“I’m still not entirely sure how you’re feeling it _now,_ while still being a subadult - perhaps because you’re half human? - but the _why_ happened because I’m like kind, and you obviously found me physically attractive. Thank you, for that compliment.” You laugh.

Your mirth both helped his embarrassment and made it much, much worse. 

“Don’t worry, Sebastian, you weren’t the only one affected. You tried to get away without triggering me as well, and I appreciate that- shame that my own curiosity was my undoing anyway, mentally following you out to that copse of trees.”

The meaning sinks into his brain - both the admittance that it was _you_ who had seen him, which was, if he admitted silently to himself, a little bit hot… and that apparently you were affected as well.

“Yes, I was. I had to sequester myself for a few days to _fucking cool it_ before I chased after you. As much fun as it would’ve no doubt been, I don’t relish in the idea of your murder.”

You’d said that before, that even if you were a _full_ adult, it would kill him. Would it actually, even if he were to even just brush against you? He can certainly still feel the _danger_ rolling off you at every moment, but it was getting better day by day.

 _“Yes. Seed,_ **_yes_** _,_ yes it would. I’m still a new adult, and I will be for a while yet. I have more control over my void now, which is why you can be closer, but _any_ physical contact will be very bad. It will rip your core right out of you, and be _very painful_ besides.”

You pause for a moment, thinking. 

“You are half human though… if you lost your Seed, would you die, or would you become _their_ kind? Food for thought... but let’s never try it.”

He agrees, immediately. He’s not keen on the idea of being dead.

He asks what you meant by _even if you were a full adult?_ Will he never even be able to shake your hand, or something?

“When I’ve mastered control of my void and become a full adult, casual contact won’t be a problem. _Mating_ still would be, though, so don’t get any ideas.” You glance at him warningly from the corner of your eye. “In the process of making a new life, the male must donate his essence over and over again, which is why _heat_ lasts for so long. You don’t have the _reserves_ for such things, and you won’t until you awaken, so don’t even try.”

At this point he’s getting very uncomfortable having this talk, with you just _casually mentioning_ having repeated sex with him, over and over. It was making his brain go into overdrive, and he hopes you’ve covered enough detail that they can move on. 

He asks if you can describe the whole... awakening-slash-sundering-slash-coming of age thing.

To his relief, you’re apparently satisfied with what you’ve covered, and launch into the new topic. You didn’t seem nearly as bothered by it as he did, and he idly wondered if it was because you’d had so much longer to internalize it, or if it was because you weren't as attracted to him as he was to you.

“Sundering is the process that refers to the moment the Seed is split open, and all the lifespark that had been accumulating then floods into the body. This leaves a void where the Seed once was, and, like a black hole, starts trying to fill it again with the surrounding aether. It’s _especially_ drawn to other Seeds, trying to fill that imbalance.” At your words, he feels the _threat_ roiling off you get momentarily stronger, and he subtly tries to inch away. “Once enough aether has been absorbed and the void becomes saturated, a new, _stronger_ lifespark - called a _Blossom_ \- is created, and the aether reserves in the body are much, much bigger, which is why adults can last longer in barren lands and are much more powerful.”

He nods in understanding. Is there any way to tell how soon a Seed might split open? He would really like to leave this place as soon he can- or at least have the _option_ to, not liking the feeling of being trapped.

You look over at him with understanding, and with pity.

“Sadly… no. It’s different for everyone, and there’s no comprehensive warning signs. For my own I’d merely felt a bit more _tired_ immediately prior, and that means nothing. You _could_ leave this place, though, if you had an idea where to end up, and the means to get there quickly.”

Did you have any other ideas? Would you be willing to share them?

“Besides the home Island? I don’t, no. And taking you there would have a lot of _awkward_ questions, and you wouldn’t be allowed back out again, so I want to avoid that. This Valley is the only other place I know of, and I hope I can stay here for a long, _long_ time without being discovered. Be careful, by the way, asking our kind to share their places of rest with you- these high quality areas are jealously guarded, and fights among us used to be very frequent.”

Ah. He notes that it won't be so easy to leave then, not until his coming of age happens… which at the earliest was two hundred years in the future.

“Well, who knows? You reached full physical maturity in a mere fifteen, when it takes the rest of us at least ten times that long. Who’s to say your Sundering won't happen early, too?”

He shrugs, but can’t help but get his hopes up. You smile at him, and at least reassure him that where they currently were was one of the best places he could possibly be, so surely the time would just fly by, especially now that he knew to actively draw in the aether to hasten the process. And, you also mention, as you didn’t plan on moving, at least you would be here to keep him company while he waits.

He relaxes, at that, quite a bit. He admits that he was worried earlier that he would probably outlive everyone he knows, and would become a lonely recluse at the top of a mountain.

“Yes, you probably will. But you can always make new friends- usually our kind reconnect with the descendants of their old ones. And, you can at least stay with who you know _now_ until the end of their lives. You won’t be able to weave the illusions needed, but I can once I master myself, so I’ll help you.”

He looks up at that, gratitude shining in his eyes. That he won’t have to abandon his Mom or his friends because he wasn’t aging properly… it’s a load off his mind.

He’s still rather tired from his mental explorations earlier, and he’s starting to slump further and further forward, until the aether in the water is looking _very_ tempting. He asks about the giant fish he’d seen the other night, and if it would _retaliate_ if he replenished himself with the aether in its home.

“Just don’t take too much. I was a bit… greedy… that other night, and I got a telling off for it, divine fish style. I apologized to it earlier on the lake bed, and it’s no longer bothered by my coming here. I’m sure a little sip from you, too, won’t be missed.”

He gratefully sinks his hand into the water, feels for the warmth, and convinces it to flow up his arm to his Seed. He immediately starts feeling better, and gives a noise of contentment.

He turns to look at you, and you just smile back at him. You seem to think of something, and sit up quickly and dig into your bag. You produce a large, shining parsnip from within, and offer it out to him. He’s a bit taken aback, noticing the faint _glow_ around it. After a moment, he takes the parsnip from you and examines it more closely. 

You explain about eating _proper_ food, especially now that you were around to provide it, so he could infuse himself more easily. He suddenly understood that he was holding a parsnip that held quite a lot of aether inside of it. 

Is this why he'd seen you glowing, the other night? He was seeing the aether?

Tilting your head at him, you're confused. "Can you not see it all the time? You shine very brightly to me- well, where you're not hiding under black, that is."

No, he apparently couldn't. You looked the same to him now as everyone else in town. 

"Hm. You must be only able to see it when it's more concentrated. Yes, that other night, when the divine fish splashed me, I had soaked in quite a _lot_ of aether at that point, and then I was drenched with _more._ "

Great, he thinks to himself. Another thing about him that’s different from you, and not in a good way.

You reassure him that it’s not a big deal, and it was likely just because you were, at the moment, about the same level as a Child. With enough practice, you would get better.

He’s not sure what he feels at that comment, being a child in your eyes, but at least appreciates your attempt to cheer him up.

You stand and stretch over your head, and his eyes are glued to the small strip of skin on your stomach before it’s hidden again. “Anything else you’re curious about for now? We should head into the mines soon- and we shouldn’t talk about such things down there. Who knows who or what could be listening in on our echoes.”

He shakes his head, content with the answers for now. He takes a moment to wash the parsnip in the lake, and then, at your encouragement, takes a big bite out of it raw. The taste and texture makes his eyebrow twitch, but the aether immediately flowing into him is addicting, and he devours it in mere moments. He nearly _moans_ in ecstasy.

You shift at that, and cross your arms, slightly turning and looking away from him. He’s too busy feeling bliss to really notice.

You sigh and shake your head, smile back at him, and then he follows you as you walk back to shore.


	26. Chapter 26

Re-energized, Sebastian leads you back over to the mine entrance. He steps inside first and pulls out his lighter so he can see as he waits for his eyes to adjust to the darkness.

You follow him in, after a moment. While you were still wary of enclosed spaces around him, you do concede he has been remarkably restrained today, and figure he understands how serious it would be were he to touch you. So, reassured by his actions, you decide to put a little trust in him.

After regaining his ability to see, he heads over to a decrepit-looking ladder leading down into a dark abyss. You raise your brows at him in silent questioning.

"It's the only way down now." He shrugs.

You frown and ask, "How far down do we have to go?"

"I think it starts getting chilly at about floor… 30? 40? And hot about 80?"

You grimace, and look over at the obviously out-of-order elevator. "That's a _lot_ of floors to possibly fight through. And I'm not sure I trust that old ladder, either- it looks like it would collapse under our weight. Who knows if the others further down would be in any better condition."

You walk up to the elevator and examine it, but there's obviously no power. You infuse some warmth into your muscles and yank open one of the doors to peer inside.

Sebastian jumps at the sudden squealing noise, then looks around cautiously to make sure you weren't seen. Smart boy; he's learning.

Just as you figured- the inside of the elevator was intact, but had no electricity flowing through it at all. You look around for a fuse box, but don't see one. You cross your arms and rest your cheek in your hand, and think.

Without electricity, the motor won't work to move the car, and the brakes won't work to stop it on the correct floor. So how to supply the power…

You think for a while, but come up with no good ideas how to get the car working again. You were tempted to try and spark some lightning, but the last time you'd tried that you ended up flat on your back with your hair every which way, smoking. 

You don't really want to look that way in front of your charge, so you abandon that idea. But you still don't want to storm down possibly eighty-something floors filled with monsters, just to come right back up again. That would be exhausting and would take _days,_ and that didn't even count all the backtracking to sleep.

So you step into the elevator and search for the emergency access panel on the ceiling. It's locked from the outside, as you expect, but with enough effort and leverage you're able to force it open anyway. You climb up and stand on the top of the car, and look down. The shaft is pitch black, and you can't see much without serious effort.

"Er… Liliana, what are you doing up there?" He calls out, his head tilted to look up at you through the opening, but very careful _not_ to have any part of him through the doors, just in case of sudden collapse. Considering that the car squeaks and groans every time you shift your weight, you don't blame him for not wanting to chance it. 

"Taking a shortcut." You call back. The car under your feet seemed sturdy enough, so you say, "Come up and join me, Sebastian."

\----------------

He eventually joins you atop the elevator car, sweating all the while, but also really pleased that he was able to pull himself up effortlessly now. He's not sure he would've been able to do so before you showed him what he was capable of.

He's gripping tight to the cable above the car and looks tentatively over the edge, and breaks out in a cold sweat at the sight of the abyss below him. He _really_ wants to pull you back, standing bravely and nonchalantly at the edge, but keeps his hands to himself. 

"What, uh… I mean, _how_ is this meant to be a shortcut, again?" He asks nervously. 

"Well…" You start, still peering over the edge and into the darkness. "We'll be jumping. Multiple times instead of just once, hopefully."

He's silent for a moment, then his eyes widen and he stares at you disbelievingly. "WHAT!?"

"If you infuse your whole body and strengthen it, it will help reduce the damage from the fall. We'll be able to jump down multiple floors at once this way. It _will_ still hurt like a bitch though, just as forewarning."

He shakes his head at you. "Nope, not happening. Nuh uh, no way."

You finally turn away from the abyss to look at him, grinning. "That's a lot of no's for someone who's gonna do it anyway~"

There's a teasing, sing-song note in your voice, and he hates it. 

He asks desperately, "Can we not just go down and break our legs on the splintered ladders??"

You snort at him. "And take a billion years to get down there? Be reasonable, Sebastian."

He sputters. " _Reasona-_ "

You laugh, then just smile at him. "Hey, I won't force you. If you truly don't wish to do it this way, we won't. We _can_ do it though, if you have the courage to try."

He's quiet for a moment, just staring at you and thinking. Courage, huh…

He supposes he can do it, if you're there next to him. He doesn't want to let you down. He wants to _impress you_ with his bravery. 

So, as much as his mind and body were both screaming at him _not to do this,_ he agrees. 

\----------------

It's just as painful as you said, and he grits his teeth and groans with every landing.

You're below him, mapping out the path to get down. There's ledges every so often, but they're crumbly and worn, and as they get further down, icy.

You'd taught him how to anchor himself to the wall after the first time he'd slipped, and almost fell off the edge. Seeing his strengthened fingers thrust _through_ the concrete wall, gripping hard, just reminded him once more how important it was no one ever sees what he's now capable of doing. 

He can understand why humans would be afraid of them. 

He clenches his teeth as you wave at him, and prepares to throw himself once more. 

\----------------

_Finally,_ you think, coming to some elevator shaft doors in the wall that had some mist flowing in from underneath it. The other doors you’d come across til then had felt slightly colder and colder, but you wanted to have a properly icy environment for Sebastian to try his luck in.

You pull open the doors and step through. There’s frozen water all around you, and if it were only a little warmer, you’d feel right at home.

Breath misting, you lean back into the shaft and wave out for Sebastian to join you, then step away to clear his landing. A moment later he falls in with a loud _thump,_ and is sprawled out on the ground, groaning. He just lays there, face-down, unwilling to move.

You just smile and shake your head at his theatrics.

You’re sore too, but you just pull in the warm ambient ice aether around you and circulate it through your body until you start feeling better. You remind Sebastian to do the same, and he rolls to his back and you feel him start, though he’s much slower at it.

You pull your sword from its sheath, and take it firmly in hand, facing the darkened tunnel before you. You’ll guard him as you wait.

You feel slight bits of aether moving ahead of you, tiny pinpricks of light hidden inside the monsters no doubt hidden further within the cave. So long as they don’t approach you, you wont go after them either.

Sebastian sits up with a sigh, looking around at the ice-covered walls around him. He pulls out his lighter again and it bounces off the walls and refracts through the ice crystals on the floor, leaving tiny rainbows in its wake.

Beautiful.

You can naturally see better in the dark than he can, but he did take well to the trick of enhancing his vision the same way he did for his muscles, earlier. Still, it’s easier to see with a source of light.

As the coast was clear, for now, you move back to his side, sword dangling from your hand beside you. You gesture for him to begin, and he sits cross-legged on the ground with his hands on his knees, concentrating.

\----------------

Still, _still,_ he feels no attachment to the Element around him. He’s becoming despondent at his failures, and once again thinks maybe he just _doesn’t have one._

He says as such, and you startle, then start thinking. But eventually you shake your head and promise he _must-_ everyone does.

He just thinks to himself that there’s a first time for everything, and why wouldn’t it be with the half-blooded freak?

He doesn’t say it aloud though, and just nods back at you. You look ready to restart your downward descent in the elevator shaft, and he quickly moves in front of you to block you. You stagger to a stop, not expecting it, and then glare lightly at him. “Yes?”

“Can we please rest for a moment? We _just_ got here, and I’m still rather tired.” He pleads, hopeful expression on his face.

You acquiesce, and he slumps back down to the floor, back resting against a rather large ice cluster next to the open elevator doors. You sit down as well, facing him this time, and ask him to reach out and _feel_ for the monsters around them at the same time he’s pulling in aether. It’s a bit difficult, concentrating on two things at once, but he tries.

He mentions that he can feel tiny, almost non-existent pinpricks of aether in the distance, seemingly moving around. Is that what you meant?

You make a sound of acknowledgement, and he assumes you nod too, but his eyes are shut. He returns to focusing on drawing in the essence surrounding him, while also trying to keep track of the monsters, and it’s a difficult thing- he keeps flipping back and forth between one task and the other, but eventually he starts to get the hang of it.

He’s reminded of those weird exercises people do, like patting their head and rubbing their stomach, or rotating their foot clockwise while trying to draw a number six in the air. He can _do it,_ but his body wants to rebel against him.

He’s so focused, actually, that he startles when a sudden noise next to his head near _screams_ at him, and he falls back through the ice crystal behind him and he slams to the floor. _What the fuck-_

And he looks up and sees your sword dangerously above him, the razor-sharp edge glinting in the light. You warn him not to move, and he just stares at it, wide-eyed and frozen, as a small trickle of blue-yellow travels down the blade.

Another _scream_ and the sword flashes, and is then impaled into the ground next to him, the remains of a ghostly creature writhing and withering away slowly on the glowing metal.

He scrambles away from it, and his hand feels nothing but air, and then he’s falling.


	27. Chapter 27

You throw yourself after him as he disappears screaming down the elevator shaft, no time to retrieve your sword buried in the ground.

He’s instinctively turned himself around to face downward with his arms and legs out to slow his momentum, but he’s still gaining speed quickly. You do your best to make yourself as arrow-like as possible to catch up to him, and yell at him to use the aether in the air to slow himself down.

He tries, but it does little to help, he’s too panicked. You grit your teeth and use it to make yourself faster, instead.

You’ve fallen to the point where the air is hot, near boiling, but you’re close enough now that you reach out and grab the hood of his coat, and then use your strength to throw him back up the shaft above you, slowing his speed. It won't do much in the long run, but if you’re close enough to the ground now he wont get up to terminal velocity again. You scream for him to _brace himself!_

You turn back around and see the ground coming up, slower than expected, but you’re glad for that, it gives you time to prepare. In the back of your frantic mind, you note that the mines must run _much_ deeper than eighty floors.

You can’t really do much other than try to get the wind to buffer around you and Sebastian both, but Air isn’t your element either, and you have minimal control over it.

You strengthen your body as much as possible and prepare yourself to land on your side with your arm protecting your head, and _slam_ into the bottom of the elevator shaft with a cry, the bones of your leg and ribs and shoulder audibly _snapping_ and breaking through your skin.

But there’s no time to rest, Sebastian is about to fall on top of you. In desperation, you _will_ the water in your blood to surge up, and catch him, and push him away from you.

He still hits the ground _hard,_ but it’s enough. 

He’s alive.

\----------------

He lays there, crumpled against the wall, breathing heavily and coming down from his panic.

He’d been convinced he was going to die at the bottom of that elevator shaft, that you were _both_ going to die, but he tried to follow your directions anyway. Apparently, it was enough. He gingerly ran through his body, testing piece by piece, to see if anything was broken, but he seems to have come out of it with minimal injury. He sighs in relief.

Then he turns on his lighter - still clenched tight in his grip from the fall - and looks at you, on your side facing him, unmoving. He starts to panic again at your lack of movement, but the _relief_ in your eyes as you examine him calms him down. He manages to get himself to his knees and crawl closer to you.

You still don’t move, not an inch, and as he gets closer he realizes why.

There’s blood on the ground _everywhere,_ and the light of the flames flicker over the broken and extruding white of _bone_ from your upper leg.

 _Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck_ **_fuck fuck-_ **

He’s becoming hysterical, and he can’t calm down. You’re unmoving, you’re _injured,_ you’re **_dying and bleeding out_ ** _and there’s_ **_nothing he can do-!_ **

You reach out with your uninjured arm, the one you aren’t laying on, and snap your fingers in front of his face for the second time that day. He comes out of it with a gasp.

 _“Focus,_ Sebastian. I need your help now.” You say, much too calmly for the condition you’re in.

He jumps on it anyway, desperately trying to think of what he can do to help you. “ _How?_ There’s so much _blood,_ and we’re _so far underground,_ and-”

“Don’t worry about the blood, Sebastian, I’ve got it under control. It won't leave me if I don’t wish it to. I can’t move, though; all the bones on my side are broken. I need an Adult to come give me medical attention before I pass out, and I need _you_ to go fetch one for me.”

He nods, desperately, and snatches up his fallen mace. He looks back up the elevator shaft- no, impossible to go that way now. He instead turns toward the closed, almost red-hot and shimmering doors in front of him.

He almost tears them open in his hurry, then closes them again gently behind him, wanting to protect you from the overwhelming heat and the possible monsters stumbling upon you when you can’t defend yourself.

He grabs the highest rung of the ladder he can reach and hauls himself up into the molten air above.

\----------------

He finally stumbles out of the cave, into the early evening light, gasping for breath. He collapses to his knees, exhausted and trembling.

He climbed all the way up from the bottom floor with no time to rest, no breaks, frantic energy pushing him the entire way. He’d smashed his way through rock crabs, and moving skeletons, and golems, and _too many slimes,_ absorbing as much aether as he could as he went as he climbed, and climbed, and _climbed._

He’s so tired, but he’s so _close,_ and he staggers to his feet again to stumble in the direction of Linus’ camp. He _desperately_ hoped he was there.

He approached the campfire and though he didn’t see the adult immediately he could _feel_ him inside his tent, so he called out, “Elder Linus, please, we need you! _Please_ _help us!”_

He hears a rustle from inside the tent and then the old male sticks his head out, looking surprised to see the subadult come up to him for the first time in a decade.

“What’s wrong? Why are you covered in _blood?”_ The elder asks, staring down at Sebastian’s clothes. He stares back at his face again, alarm crossing his expression. “That’s not _yours-_ where is Liliana, Sebastian!?”

Sebastian glances down at himself, too- he hadn’t realized, through his black clothes, that he was practically _soaked_ in slightly glowing, sticky liquid all over the front of his body.

 _“I said, where is she, boy?”_ The Adult thundered, charging up to him with fury on his face. Sebastian stumbles back, suddenly frightened of him, as he felt the earthen aether all around them fly up and encircle them both.

He’s scared at the show of power- he’d had no idea that the gentle, sad old man who lived so close to him could be so _savage._ “S-She’s down in the mines, at the bottom of the elevator shaft! We fell from high up, and she’s _injured!_ Please, please go help her!” He cried, shaking where he stood.

Linus took off, running east and jumping down from the small cliff his campsite was based on and making his way to the cave in the cliffside immediately.

Sebastian follows, as closely as his trembling would let him.

\----------------

By the time he gets there - taking the long way back down the cliff, as he didn’t think he could follow the Adult in his current condition - Linus was nowhere to be found. He tiredly stumbles over to the elevator and is about to climb above it again, intending to shout down to see if anyone could hear him, when the Adult’s grunting voice behind him makes him come to a halt.

Linus is _climbing out of the rock wall_ with you in his arms, your face pressed into the chest of his leaf-shirt, shielding you from the chaotic earthen aether still around them as the wall reforms behind them. Sebastian stumbles closer but stops a distance away as Linus glares at him.

“She’s very weak right now boy, and she doesn’t have the means to control herself. Stay. Back.” Linus barks at him, and he immediately steps away, giving them space.

Linus starts marching his way quickly to his tent, and you relax a bit as you enter the outer edge of his wellspring. Sebastian hurries after them but keeps his distance, as he feels your terror-threat become more and more pronounced as you fall unconscious. He ends up at the very edge of the camp and he can barely see you as Linus places you on the other side of the fire and starts ripping open the side of your clothes where you’re injured.

The Adult hisses as he sees your wounds, and Sebastian is suddenly glad he doesn’t have a clear view of what’s happening.

He hopes you’ll be alright.


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First section: squeamish warning

You’re pulled back to full consciousness abruptly as Linus jostles you _hard._ He tells you to stay awake _no matter what_ as he attempts to manipulate your bones back into their proper places. But he has no control over water, and he needs you to prevent your bleeding out when he removes the splinters from your organs.

You groan and clench your teeth, but do your best to pay attention to what he’s doing as he grabs onto the minerals in your bones and wills them to _move._ Your rib fragments start shifting, very slowly and carefully removing themselves from your lungs and liver, and one particularly _nasty_ one pricking through the wall of your heart with every beat.

Your eyes are half-lidded, exhaustion flooding through you as you continue to ensure your blood stays _inside_ and flowing throughout the shredded and ruptured veins and arteries in your body. You’d been concentrating on staying alive for _hours_ now, replenishing your energy from the fire aether nearby, and now the wellspring beneath you, but you just want to sleep now.

You so, so _desperately_ want to sleep, and start drifting off again.

You hear Linus yell for Sebastian to go get the truck- they’re taking you to the clinic _now!_

With the last of your energy you plug up the holes left behind by the bone shards, and then you _finally_ pass out.

\----------------

Sebastian is running down the hill towards his home, practically flying down the stairs and then rounding the corner to the front door.

He bursts through so forcefully the door flies into the wall with a _bang!_ and the occupants in the room stare at him, startled.

But he has no time. His eyes zero in on the truck keys next to the door, and he almost fumbles as he claws at them before darting back outside, the door still open. His Mother calls after him - _Sebastian!? -_ but he doesn’t respond. He doesn't have _time_ to respond.

He’s throwing up the garage door with too much force and he hears it _crack_ once it’s fully up, and he winces at the thought of the screaming he’ll get later but he can’t stop, can’t apologize, can’t _think about it right now,_ he’s already climbing into the truck and almost runs over his stepfather Demetrius as he revs out the open door.

He knows he should take the long way around to the campsite, but _it’s the long way,_ and so he aims toward the stairs and accelerates, forcing the truck up the stairs and up the slope until he’s as close as he can get to you, truck bed closest to your position.

His family is chasing after him as he stumbles out of the cab and opens the rear of the truck, wishing there was something in there other than _cold, hard, uncomfortable metal_ for your journey down the mountain, but there’s nothing he can do about it.

He backs away, trying not to make it obvious to his family behind him, as Linus practically sprints toward him with you in his arms, a pained look on his face, and he feels the _terror-threat_ radiating stronger and stronger from you starting to bite at his mind. He climbs behind the wheel again as the adult starts lifting you into the back, and his heart stutters as someone grabs his arm and demands to know what he’s doing.

He turns to look at Demetrius’ angry, disapproving, ( _worried-?)_ look, but he can’t focus, can’t _breathe,_ you’re too close you’re _sucking the life out of him-_

He’s pulled forcefully from his seat, further from you, and his sanity comes back long enough to realize he can’t drive you, _he can’t get you to the clinic!!_

He almost breaks down crying at that point, tears stinging his eyes and his face starts twisting into a grimace, and he starts sinking to his knees, upper arm still in the tight grip of his stepfather.

His Mother is suddenly there, kneeling in front of him and holding his face in her hands. He finds his relief in her wide-eyed, worried gaze and he gasps out, please, _please,_ she’s _dying,_ please drive her to the clinic, Mom-!!

And then she’s gone- _how did she go so quickly?_ The truck is driving away, his Mom at the wheel and Maru and Linus in the back holding you, preventing you from further injury as the truck bounces and lurches its way down the dirt road to town for the second time in a week.

He’s left kneeling there, with Demetrius standing next to him talking rapidly into his phone, as he watches you quickly disappear from his sight.

After a moment, without thinking, he surges to his feet and starts stumbling, then running after you down the dirt road.

\----------------

You come to again under the bright, fluorescent lights of the clinic, with tears wetting your cheeks. You try to move, but quickly find you’re unable.

You’re strapped down and your leg is in a thick cast. Your side has been tightly wrapped and, though you were breathing just fine as you woke earlier, now you feel like it’s constricting too tight and you’ll soon suffocate. You groan quietly and squeeze your eyes tight against the glare, feeling a migraine start taking over your mind.

The lights dim, thankfully, and you open your eyes in a squint to see who’s approaching. A middle-aged man in a doctor’s coat steps up next to you and asks if you can understand him.

“Yes…?” You mutter back, questioningly. “Why wouldn’t I…?”

“Good, you’re lucid now. That’s great to see. When you’d arrived last night you were completely out of it, thrashing around and making your injuries worse. I’m sorry for having to strap you down- it was for your protection and ours as we worked on you. If you’re feeling better now, I’ll remove them.”

You nod, grateful as he immediately moves to do as he said. As your wrists pop free you try to lift your arms to rub at the phantom restraints, then cry out in pain at the movement.

“Please try not to move any more, for now. You had a compound fracture in your femur, multiple shattered ribs on your side - _I’m still not sure how none of them managed to injure you further, you’re very lucky -_ and, while not broken, your shoulder was badly strained. It will take a long time for you to recover from these injuries.”

You rest back against the bed as he finishes unwrapping the restraints from around you. “Thank you, Doctor. I don’t think I’ve even met you yet, but you’ve already done me a substantial service. You have my sincerest gratitude.”

He smiles at you. “You can call me Harvey. I was happy to be of assistance, Lily. But you should thank the people who brought you in quickly- any longer and you would’ve bled out. The wound in your leg, particularly, was very nasty. Can you tell me what happened?”

You inject confusion into your voice and respond, “...I don’t really remember. I was in the mines, definitely, and I think I might’ve fallen…?”

You don’t like lying through your teeth, especially when you have no idea what others have already said, so you try to be as vague as possible.

He nods, with a serious look on his face. “Please try to avoid the mines, if at all possible. They are very dangerous. You got all _these,_ and you didn’t even run into any monsters.”

You nod and promise not to go in there again unless you _desperately need to,_ and even then you would take as many precautions as possible. He’s finally satisfied with that, and leaves you alone to rest, keeping the room dim and closing the door.

You close your eyes and pretend to sleep.

\----------------

You weren’t allowed any visitors for the time being, so you spent the hours with your sight turned inward, tracking down every piece of broken tissue and easing aether to it for repairs. You weren’t able to just _magick them better,_ per say, but you could help speed up the process.

You took special care with your punctured organs, especially the hole in your heart. They were plugged, not repaired- you need to go easy on them until they heal.

You sigh and wish once again that there was a proper healer living here- when trained properly in Water, Earth, and Life, they were able to stop pretty much any fatal injury in its tracks, and could speed up recovery immensely.

You suppose, maybe, that’s something in the future you might want to pursue. Even if it's only for your own benefit.

But for now, you’re very grateful that Linus got to you in time, and he was able to do what he could for you.

And extremely grateful to Sebastian. Climbing up all those monster-filled floors in so short a time must’ve been a daunting task. You vaguely remember him being nearby as Linus worked on you too, so he must’ve been instrumental in getting you to the clinic as well.

That he was okay made the injuries worth it, in your eyes.

A knock at your door eases you out of your musings, and you open your eyes to see the young woman, Maru, entering your room, dressed in a nurse’s outfit and carrying a clipboard.

“How are you feeling, Lily?” She asks, sitting next to your bed.

“Well,” You say with a grimace, “I could be worse. Do you know how long until I’m cleared to go? I need to get back home.”

She waves the clipboard in the air, briefly. “That’s why I’m here, actually. Dr. Harvey thinks you’re stable enough to go - with assistance, of course - so I just need you to sign these discharge papers and you can be on your way.”

“Oh, joyous days! Gimme gimme!” You make a grabby motion with your hands, and Maru laughs at your antics.

“You’ve only been here for a day and you’re already tired of us, huh?” Maru chuckles as she hands you the papers, and a pen. “I even came in on my days off to help you and this is the thanks I get?” She tilts her head back and puts her hand over her eyes, pretending to sob.

You just grin up at her and try not to laugh. You quickly sign all the papers without even bothering to look at them, and she hands you a packet of discharge instructions to follow when you get home.

“So, one last problem,” Maru starts, and you look up at her. “You may have noticed that, well… you’re in a hospital gown now. Your clothes had been cut away for your injuries, so I’m sorry to say they’ve been disposed of. Do you have anyone who can bring you more? Preferably not pants, because of that leg.” She taps the end of the pen lightly on your cast.

“Ah, fuck.” You drop your head into your hands. “I _just_ got those. I don’t have any clothes, actually- I came here rather unprepared, and hadn’t had the time to go shopping for more yet. That set came from Haley, just yesterday.” You groan loudly.

“Ah, I see. Well, do you wish me to contact Haley and see if she can bring you any more?”

You nod and sigh sadly. “I liked that new set, too…”

She pats you sympathetically on your uninjured shoulder, and then leaves the room to get your affairs in order.

\----------------

Haley doesn’t come in to visit you, not having the time apparently, but said she's sorry you already lost your new outfit. Maru brought in the long skirt she’d donated in her stead.

“...No shirt?” You ask, staring blankly at half-an-outfit.

“Unfortunately not. Haley said she didn’t have any shirts that would fit you- that you’d tried them all on the other day already. But you can go home in your hospital gown, at least. It ties in the back, so you’ll be covered from the waist up.”

You sulk a bit, but give a resigned sigh. Maru helps you sit up, you pridefully decline her offer to help you dress, and then she turns her back as you struggle to put it on under your gown.

Your injuries are going to be a right pain in the ass, you can already tell.

But you manage, _somehow,_ between your cast and your bound ribs. Thankfully it was one that you button from the side, rather than one you have to pull up.

You have to erase the slight blush from your cheeks as you realize that Haley didn’t provide any underwear - not that you would’ve worn it anyway, so that might’ve been why - so you’re still commando under the clothing.

You swear you’re going to get new clothes even if you have to steal someone’s phone and order them over the internet; mark your words.

The young nurse helps you into a wheelchair and rolls you into the waiting room, where you see Sebastian slumped into a chair in the corner, dozing.

His head snaps up at the noise of the door swinging shut, then jumps to his feet as he realizes it actually is you. He approaches slower than he’d like, you can tell- testing how close he can get, and you lock down your void as much as possible so that he can stand almost right next to you.

“Thanks, Maru.” You say, looking back at her behind you. “I think Sebastian has got it from here though.”

She nods and steps out of the way, and Sebastian takes her place at the handles. “We’ve ordered in some crutches for you; they should be here in a few days. You’ll still need to use this wheelchair until your ribs heal enough, though. You can use it as long as you like.” She smiles at you kindly.

You smile back at her as Sebastian is wheeling you out of there, and thank her before the door closes behind you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, still tweaking all the things constantly.
> 
> If there's anything that stands out to you as inconsistent, please let me know. I actually write these scenes out of thin air, so even I don't know what's gonna happen next. Still following a general outline though, don't worry.
> 
> Makes me want to write more, just so I can read more. Yay motivation!
> 
> Am I being too obvious with my hints though? Send me some comments; I'm dying to know what people think and what people are wondering about.


	29. Chapter 29

The trip back to your farm was uneventful, if bumpy. Sebastian was quiet on the way, keeping his thoughts to himself until they could have a private conversation. You just allow him to push you along silently, as you try to keep your pained gasps to yourself.

Seed, you are definitely going to pave this walkway. You are not going to spend the next few weeks on this dirty, pothole-ridden path, faking with crutches or not.

He rolls you up to the steps of your patio and gives a look around to make sure they’re alone, then easily lifts you, chair and all, onto the top step and follows after you. He pauses at the doorway and lets you roll in yourself, unsure of his welcome.

While the memories flash through your mind, warning you, you ultimately wave him inside, and ask him to close the door. After a moment, he does so.

At your request, he sits on your only chair in the room, a match for the ancient table just beside it. It wobbles a bit, now, after the abuse you put it through yesterday - _Seed, was it only yesterday? -_ but you don’t intend to upgrade your furniture anytime soon, so it’ll just have to do.

You turn to face him awkwardly in your wheelchair, only having one arm to work with, but you succeed. You try to look him in the eye, but he’s staring determinedly at the ground, not saying anything.

“Sebastian?” You ask, “Are you alright?”

His head snaps up and he looks at you in astonishment. _“You’re_ the one injured, why are you asking _me?”_

“Because you don’t seem _well."_ You say matter-of-factly. “Talk to me. What’s on your mind?”

A guilty look appears on his face, and then he’s staring at the ground again, hiding from you. He slumps in his chair and picks at a loose thread on his pants as he thinks about what to say.

“...How were you so… composed? You lay there, blood everywhere, and must’ve been in _so much pain,_ so how did you manage to stay so calm?”

He’s quiet for a moment more, then continues so softly you almost couldn’t hear him. “I overreacted before about seeing you ‘drown’... but I don’t think _my_ reaction was the out-of-place one, down in that shaft.”

“...I didn’t want to admit it to you, Sebastian, but the truth is, I _was_ scared. I was so, _so scared_ after I saw your reaction. I hadn’t realized, until that point, just how bad I must’ve been; and then I thought, _I was probably going to die down there._ But I couldn’t have us both panicking, not if I wanted to live, so I forced myself - and you - into doing something productive.

“If I had let my concentration falter, if I had let my panic and pain take over… I probably would’ve bled to death. So thank you, Sebastian, for following my orders so quickly, so _unceasingly_. You saved my life. _Thank you.”_

He's just staring at you now, a slight blush and tiny smile on his face, before it sadly fades away. "If I hadn't stupidly fallen, there would've been no need. I've told you this a lot in the past couple of days, but, again… I'm _s-sorry."_

His voice had choked on that last word, head dropping back down again so you can't see, but to your horror you see tears dropping onto his jeans. 

You'd never, in all your life, felt so strongly the urge to hug someone- someone in such desperate need of comfort.

But you can't. So you sit there, not moving, not speaking… just waiting until he runs out of tears. 

It's a lonely, _heart-breaking_ feeling. 

\----------------

He feels better, once his tears run dry. 

He's tired now, eyes aching, but the feeling in his body is cathartic. He gives a tension- relieving sigh and slumps further down the chair, releasing all the terrible energy that had been building since their fall the day before. 

You had not said anything during his moment of weakness, and he was glad for it. He wipes his face and lifts his head to give you a slight smile, trying to show he's okay now.

He asks if there's anything you need, anything he can do for you, or if you'd like him to go so you can rest. 

You say you can think of a lot of things that need doing, but you’re not sure if you’d be right asking him to do them. He almost bursts out with reassurance that he’d be happy to help you with _anything,_ so _please_ count on him.

He’d never worked outside a day in his life, and he didn’t look forward to starting now, but that didn’t _matter_ when you looked at him with gratefulness in your eyes.

You’re mostly quiet as you think, just humming occasionally, when your eyes land on the scarecrow out your window. 

You groan, but ask him to please bring it in. You at least want your shirt back... you'll swap it for this stupid gown. The seeds will be fine for a few moments-

A look of realization crosses your face. "Oh, _Great World,_ the seeds! The seeds I _just_ bought, yesterday!" You look around for your bag, but don't see it; it didn't come home with you. 

You ask him if he'd seen your belongings. With a pause, he realizes too that he hadn't seen it- at least, not since their fall the day before. He can't remember if it was with you when Linus brought you back to his camp. 

“Well… it’s probably with Linus? Likely got shoved away at the same time he was trying to check your wounds.” He pauses for a second, distracted by thoughts of your clothes being _ripped off you_ and wanting to apply that to a _different_ scenario, but he shakes his head sharply to get back on track, and promises to go retrieve it for you after he’s done helping you here. 

You relax at his words and slump in your chair best you can with your tightly bound ribs. He gives you a happy, if slightly pained smile, then retrieves the scarecrow from outside. There’s apparently no crows around at the moment to take advantage of the opportunity, but he sees you glare out at the trees around your field anyway, just in case.

He strips the shirt from the strawman and shakes it vigorously outside to get rid of the clinging bits of dried, itchy hay, and only hands it to you when he’s sure he’s gotten it as clean as it’s gonna be. You thank him as he steps outside and closes the door, giving you some privacy to change.

\----------------

It hurts, it hurts _so damn much,_ but with enough aether running through your arms and ribs you manage to dull the pain long enough for you to strip off the gown and pull the shirt over your head. You toss your gown down to the strawman on the floor and call for Sebastian to re-enter your home.

Under your direction he ties the gown over the strawman as best he can, and then props it back in its place in your field. He looks at its blank, featureless face for a moment, then shakes his head and comes back inside.

“Should probably get a hat to put on it or something. It looks very strange as it is.” He mutters as he steps through the doorway.

“Mm,” You agree, “Perhaps a straw hat for my straw man. I'll paint a skull and crossbones on it even. Fitting, right?” You try to chuckle, and stop immediately as a wince crosses your face.

He just gives a slight grin at your attempt at a joke, and then looks at you seriously. “Will you be okay in your chair while I’m gone? Or would you prefer to rest in bed?”

You don’t really want to be sitting up anymore; it’s starting to hurt. You glance at the bed and try to guess your chances of pulling yourself up without assistance, on your one strengthened uninjured arm.

You don’t think your chances are good.

But with him being unable to touch you directly, you ponder how best to have him help you. What, is he going to pick up your chair and tip you in…?

You snort and say as much to him, expecting him to laugh at the ridiculousness of the image, but he just shrugs and picks up your chair again, and you quickly grip the armrests as you almost lose your balance and fall. You stare down at him with disbelief that he took you seriously, and then widen your eyes as you feel him start to tip you onto the bed.

“Wait! _Waaii-!!”_

But it’s too late, you fall and sink into the soft, cushy mattress with a _poof,_ as the blankets try to eat you alive.

 _Now_ he laughs, as you struggle to flip yourself over and free yourself from your blanket prison. He had at least, thankfully, managed to get _all of you_ onto the bed, so your hurt leg wasn’t dragging you onto the floor.

You prop yourself up with a wince and glare at him. “Asshole.”

He just shrugs again, snickering, and with a smirk on his face. “That’s my name; came out saying it when I was born. What can ya do?” He has a helpless look on his face, and you can’t help but grin at him again.

You roll to your uninjured side, and then shift your hips so that your cast is pushed up and over by your other leg, and then you’re on your back again with a sigh of relief. You push yourself up the bed so you can recline on your pillows and mentally thank Robin again for giving you a proper-sized bed instead of a twin or something. You would’ve just fallen off the bed again otherwise.

You wave him away when he asks seriously if you’re alright, and request he go get your bag as you get yourself settled.

He promises to be back as soon as he can, and the door clicks shut softly behind him.

\----------------

He makes his way up the backwoods, thinking over the night before, as he’d followed you down to the clinic.

He had taken off so suddenly that he had slipped out of Demetrius’ reach, ignoring his call after him, and he’d ran full tilt down the mountain as the tail lights of the truck faded around the corner of the path. He hadn’t been thinking then, just needing to _follow you,_ even if everything about you screamed at him to _stay away!!_

He hadn’t even thought of taking his bike, but in retrospect he was glad he didn’t. He was so shaky he probably would’ve driven right off the side of the mountain- and this time he didn’t have you around to help him survive the fall.

So he’d finally arrived more than an hour after you had, and he had gotten even more frantic- you had been screaming so loudly he could hear you from the community center.

There were more voices around you, Harvey and Maru, Linus and his Mom, trying to convince you to calm down, that _you were hurting yourself!!_ But you couldn’t seem to hear them, just screaming and wailing above them all.

Until he’d burst through the door in the front of the clinic, and felt your terrifyingly soothing presence stroke over his soul. You’d quieted soon after that, and he’d calmed with you. He couldn’t get closer, the waiting room being his limit with the state you were in, but it was enough. He sat down in the corner to wait for you, elbows on his knees and hands against his mouth, just completely exhausted after everything he’d gone through that day.

He couldn’t sleep, not until he knew you would be okay, so he just sat there, unmoving in the dark as they worked on you. His Mom hadn’t even seen his form in the shadows as she left, but Linus had glanced over at you, pausing for a second but having to continue on, as his Mother was just behind him. He supposes the adult hadn’t wanted to draw attention to him, just then, and he was happy for that. He hadn’t felt up to the confrontation at the time.

It was after midnight by the time Maru’d came stumbling out of the back room, with her nurse outfit dotted with your blood, which had glown slightly in the dark. He’d jumped to his feet and rushed toward her and gave her an _awful_ fright, which at the time had annoyed him but now made him feel bad. He had just grabbed her upper arms and demanded to know how you were.

She couldn’t tell you details, but under his insistent glare and tight grip, admitted you were stable and that he could probably visit the next day. At the good news he’d pretty much just collapsed from exhaustion, and Maru had been able to maneuver him out the door before he got hold of himself again.

She’d sternly forbidden him from staying indoors during the night and locked the door in front of him. As much as he hated her in that moment, he was far too grateful toward her to take out his frustration, and just nodded in acceptance. He’d refused to go home though, letting her walk by herself, and he’d settled himself around the corner of the building, where he had passed out immediately with his head on his knees.

\----------------

His mind snapped back to the present when he rounded the last corner of the backwoods and he could see Linus’ campfire in the distance.

He was nervous as he approached, remembering the absolute fury on the adult’s face when he’d realized that you were injured, and he’d been too slow telling him what had happened. He didn’t really want to see the adult again so soon, but had promised to retrieve your belongings, so he gathered his courage and stepped into range.

Linus felt him approach and slowly drew himself out of his tent, to sit heavily next to his fire. His orange eyes glinted, reflecting the firelight, as he watched Sebastian warily approach. He gestured for Sebastian to join him on the only other seat, and the subadult did so slowly, watching him carefully.

“I’m not going to attack you, boy.” Linus said tiredly. “In fact, I’m going to apologize to you. You had not deserved my ire last night, and I’m sorry. It’s not much, but I hope you’ll accept this with my apology.”

He pulls out a freshly caught fish, already filleted, and instead of handing it to Sebastian as expected, he starts preparing it instead into thin slices as he talks.

“I want to thank you for coming to find me so quickly. By the time I had gotten to her, she was barely clinging to life. You saw how bad it was, how _weak_ her blood was... after she passed out she lost the last of her control, and it was all we could do to tourniquet her leg on the ride down. Any longer and I’m afraid she would’ve been dead before I got to her.”

The scene Linus is describing is enough to strike cold into his heart. He’s suddenly extremely glad, all over again, that he hadn’t listened to his body _screaming_ at him to slow down, to rest, to collapse where he was and not move. 

If he’d had, you’d be gone.

Linus hands him the plate of sashimi but Sebastian has lost all appetite. He thanks the adult anyway and sets it on his lap to keep it clean.

“Li-” He coughs, then chokes himself back, remembering your words. It is formal and expected to treat elders with respect, and so any adults he came across must be treated as such. He tries again, _“Elder_ Linus, please don’t apologize to me. It was my fault she was like that in the first place- she had saved me from injury, at cost to herself. _She_ would’ve been fine, otherwise.”

A frown twitched across Linus’ face, showing his displeasure for a moment before he sighed. “Nonsense, Sebastian. If she had allowed _you_ to be injured, I don’t think you would’ve survived at all. She’s sturdier than you, for now, and I’m proud of her as a new adult to put a youngling like yourself before her own well-being.”

His face softens, and he continues, “Of the two, I’m glad it happened like this. This way, both of our Children are still alive. That is the greatest outcome I could hope for.” At your face, he laughs, misinterpreting, and says, “Yes, yes. I know you’re both not Children anymore. Take ease on this Elder, would you? You’re both so young still.”

The corner of Sebastian’s mouth twitches, but he clamps down on his desire to question the adult. Here was another valuable source of information, but he couldn’t risk it- not until he was sure he could outmaneuver the faux pas that would give him away as _unnatural_ among their kind.

But he thinks of something, he can't stop himself from asking, and he hopes he doesn’t give anything about himself away- “Why was she crying and screaming so much last night? She didn’t sound, well, _lucid._ Not ‘til I got there, at least. _”_

With the look Linus gives him, he’s sure he’s said something stupid, but can’t imagine what. He just waits and stares him down, trying to convey his sincere desire to know.

“...I suppose you’ve never seen one of our kind be injured, have you boy?”

Sebastian shakes his head slightly, just once.

“Well, I can’t blame you for forgetting, then. But you should do better with your schoolfeeding if you’re going to be out here early. I’ll have a talk with your adult once they come back.” Linus frowns suddenly at him, and he shifts uncomfortably under his gaze.

“Yes, she was thrashing before you arrived, and I was doing everything I could, feeding her as much aether as possible while also trying to keep her still. I don’t need to tell you how tiring and painful that was, do I?” He looks over at the younger male, who shakes his head in return. “Good. But you arrived as soon as possible, which I’m thankful for as well, and she calmed from your presence before she started summoning her Element in defense.

“She was outside of her claimed land, exhausted, in a place with practically no good aether source nearby, surrounded by mundanes and almost fatally-injured, and with said injuries getting worse... It’s no wonder she didn’t relax until her intended Soulbound was within reach again. She’d trusted you to protect her, in her unconscious state, and you held up to that promise even at risk to yourself.”

He’s referring to his inability to be near you, he knows. Of how terrifying it is to be close to that threat of death, of how badly it pulled and tugged on his core while you weren’t there to control it, but that he hadn’t run away but _toward you_ instead. He feels a glimmer of pride in himself for that.

He dares not question more. He just nods as if he suddenly understands, while internally he’s asking himself what the link between you could possibly be. Binding your souls together… how? When? Why? What exactly was this supposed to mean? What, if anything, will change between the two of you?

He’s not against sharing a formal connection with you, whatever comes out of it. In his mind, even though he’s barely started getting to know you, you’re already the person he’s connected to most in the world. Even though your void threatened to consume him every time they got close, he still couldn’t bear to stay away, being too comfortable and soothed in your presence. And, he imagines, when the threat is gone, he’ll just feel closer to you still.

He’s staring down at the ground in deep contemplation. Linus just watches him as the emotions cross his face, to settle on a calm smile, and the Elder smiles in response.

“You accept it then? Don’t bother denying it; I can tell. I’ve seen my fair share of Soulbound over the years. I wish the both of you luck.” The Elder beams at him, and he is confused. What?

“But!” The elder suddenly barks sternly, and he’s taken aback. “Until she creates her Blossom I’ll be keeping a _very_ close eye on you!” He mock glares for a moment, then his face softens back into a smile. “I know you’ll be responsible though. Here’s hoping you grow up soon!” The adult chuckles.

All he can do is bite his tongue, and nod back. Oh how he wishes he could just ask… somehow he doesn’t think asking _you_ will be the easiest thing he’s ever done.

Instead, he turns toward the original reason he came out here, before getting sidetracked, “I understand, Elder Linus, thank you for your words. If I may, I came here to retrieve Liliana’s belongings. If you could please give me her bag, I will be on my way.”

Speaking formally is so difficult; he’s not used to it. He feels his tongue may fall off from politeness. He really needs to practice…

But he thinks he does a good enough job. Linus nods and stands, still seeming tired but with a bit more energy than before. Confusingly, he starts heading _away_ from his tent, but Sebastian follows anyway after a moment, temporarily leaving his plate of sashimi on his seat. Did he drop your bag on the way?

But he doesn’t see it on the path toward the cliff opening, nor inside the cave itself. Linus approaches the large divot in the wall where he’d emerged with you, hastily covered up, and places his hand upon it. He looks around cautiously, and Sebastian does the same out of newly-formed habit.

When the adult is convinced they’re alone, he lightly drags his hand down the wall, and it crumbles in his wake, small stones scattering on the ground. A large hole is revealed behind it, and as he steps closer, realizes it goes almost straight down.

A bit traumatized from the last time he fell down from a great height - _for good reason -_ and now a bit claustrophobic besides, he hastily steps away from the pit, but Linus just chuckles at him.

“Come boy, I won’t let allow harm to come to you. See?” A platform of stone forms just inside the hole and waits for them. The Elder steps in and waves for him to join him.

He does so tentatively, stepping onto what at least _feels_ like firm rock beneath his feet. The adult closes the hole behind him and now he really feels trapped within the rock. He’s about to start hyperventilating, thinking there’s not enough air, when the floor beneath them starts moving down at a fast but steady pace.

He can’t really see anything, even when infusing aether into his eyes, but he tries anyway, seeing just enough to know that the rock surrounding them is flying upward at an incredibly fast pace. He keeps himself tightly tucked into himself as close to the middle of the platform as possible, afraid if he touches one of those jagged walls all his skin would be worn away in seconds. 

Before he knows it, the platform is slowing, and then stops. Linus leads him down a narrow, twisting path until they reach another wall, which the adult opens again without effort. A blast of intense _heat_ wafts in and blows over them both, and Sebastian narrows his eyes. In front of them are the elevator doors, pried apart with such force one of them was almost at an angle.

“Concrete isn’t my forte. That human invention is a bit too different than regular rock and earth for me to easily dig through, and as I didn’t want to crush her unknowingly, I had to pry open the doors to get to her.” The elder explains. “I’ll stay here, if you don’t mind. The heat is a bit much for these old bones.”

Sebastian nods and leaves Linus standing in his rocky tunnel, and approaches the bent and broken elevator doors. He can see better in there now, with the light from the room able to infiltrate the shaft, and so he’s able to see from a distance the blood soaked into the ground.

He winces, but then spies your bag thrown up against one of the sides, the straps broken. He braces a hand against the door and hops inside to retrieve it, taking great care not to step on the glow on the floor. It is, thankfully, much _brighter_ than he’d seen it last night, and judging from Linus’ words earlier, he figures it’s linked to your life force.

He winces as he realizes some of the glow is coming from _him,_ too. Ah, right, since he’d essentially been by your side since you came out, he hadn’t yet changed his clothes…

He hopes that wasn’t another faux pas. At least the adult hadn’t mentioned it, so maybe he understood?

He picks up your bag and feels, with regret, a lot of _crispiness_ crinkle under his grip. Oh no. He hopes your seeds haven’t been cooked…

He returns to Linus with a sigh, thinking how he’d break the news to you. The adult closes the wall behind him, cutting off the heat immediately, and the Elder gives a sigh of relief then follows you back toward the end where the platform awaits.

“So,” Linus starts, after the platform shoots back up the tunnel at a dizzying speed. “Fire, huh? That’s a poor match with Water, but I’ve seen stranger things. You’re Soulbound; you can make it work.”

Sebastian snaps his head up, looking at Linus uncomprehendingly. The Elder doesn’t notice, as the platform had suddenly come to a halt, and he had his eyes closed as he checked for mundane life on the other side. Satisfied, he opens the wall and Sebastian follows him out.

“Perhaps, if I’m not too old by the time you master it, you could give me some guidance on it? I’d return the favor, of course, if you wished. It sure would’ve been nice to have been immune to those doors yesterday.”

He sees, for the first time, the pink scar tissue on the Elder’s hands as he gestures to it. The kind of shiny pink that could only come from healed burns.

The meaning hits him like a truck, and his excitement starts growing uncontrollably. He bites the inside of his cheek to stop his smile, but he can’t help his eyes widening considerably. The adult gives him a weird look at his reaction, but he just nods, again and again, trying to play it off as being willing to learn. The Elder buys it, and grins at him too.

He makes his excuses to get back to you as soon as possible, only stopping long enough to snatch up his favorite sashimi from his seat, as he sprints back to you to share the news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHO GUESSED FIRE!?
> 
> I'm serious, tell me your predictions, I wanna know if I'm being too unsubtle.


	30. Chapter 30

After Sebastian had left, you find yourself in a bit of a predicament. 

The feelings in your lower abdomen are becoming _very insistent,_ and are becoming harder and harder to ignore.

You didn't want to wait until Sebastian was back, that would be far too embarrassing… but you didn't know how you could do it without him, either.

Thus, predicament. 

Unable to hold it back any longer, you regretfully ease yourself back into your wheelchair. You sigh and do your best to move toward the door with only one good arm. 

As you're lost in your thoughts, pondering how you're going to be able to do this, a sudden knock at your door startles you. He's back already?

You call for him to come in, resigned to asking for his help into your outhouse. But you swear to _Seed,_ he damn well better not try to tip you in _there,_ or there would be hell to pay. 

But the person who opens your door, still standing respectfully outside, is not who you expect. Your eyes widen and you exclaim, 

_"A-Adult Morrisonia!?"_

“Liliana! I finally found you. You _would_ be in the last place I look, of course. May I come in?”

You wheel yourself back to give him room, and invite him inside again. He enters, dragging a very large case behind him.

He sets it down in the middle of your floor, then turns to face you. “When you hadn’t shown up for work the next day, I got worried- that wasn’t like you. Then news started circulating that a new adult had been born, and I just knew. I asked for leave to come monitor your progress, and of course to bring you your stuff.”

Looking at the large box that must contain all your worldly possessions, you feel giddiness start to infuse your body. _Finally!!_

The adult laughs at the glee on your face, and waves his hand at the gratitude pouring from your lips.

“Of course, Liliana. I couldn’t just let my favorite charge just go without _forever,_ now could I? Good thing you were in one of the few zones I knew about. Sorry it took me so long to find you though- I hadn’t thought your Grandfather would send you _here,_ of all places.”

He’d apparently been aware of quite a lot of places your Grandfather had _discovered_ over his life - by randomly wandering around, mostly, since nobody would just up and give it away - merely by virtue of having studied and traveled under him for a time. He’d had a hard time picturing you being the one gifted Pelican Town, though, and had checked the others first. 

“Glad I found you though. Would’ve had to entrust it to the next Adult who knew your Grandfather, otherwise. All this secrecy can be a pain in the arse.”

You agree, and can’t help but tear open the lid of the case in your excitement. Inside is all your clothes - _yay!!!_ \- your cellphone and laptop, all your books and movies, your _sword oh thank Seed you have your favorite sword back._

You grin up at him from your wheelchair, and are then confused when he looks down at you - eyes taking in all your injuries - disapprovingly.

“So, Liliana. I heard through the grapevine that you _fell_ in the _mines._ Wanna tell me what really happened?”

“Er, right. Yes. That. Would you believe me if I told you that that is _exactly_ what happened?”

He just crosses his arms and scowls down at you. Yep, no dice.

“Alright, fine… that _is_ what happened though, just on a much larger scale. I fell from _very_ high up, at a very fast speed. Thankfully the Adult up top came and rescued me. But I broke my leg in the process, so I had to go to the mundanes for treatment.”

He just places a hand over his face, shook his head, and sighed loudly.

“Well, I _had_ intended to go back to the island after delivering your belongings, thinking you’d be doing alright. _Unfortunately,_ I was wrong. So, I’ll be staying here for the time being. I’ll put in a transfer at Joja- there is thankfully a store here, and I can keep my cover.”

You blink, then remember that surly man wearing a Joja uniform that one day. Somehow you hadn’t connected the dots and realized there was one in town- you just hadn’t seen it yet, apparently. You grimace at the thought. You’d spent a large portion of the last decade working in that abominable office, clacking away at your keyboard, under the watchful electronic eyes of your mundane overlords.

Subadults were tasked with working under a variety of mundane industries, to better prepare them for life in the outside world. What better way than to simulate the actual life experience? Ugh.

At least they’d enticed you with gold. You’d had a small stockpile saved up, from all of that.

You just nod at the adult sadly, as he turns to leave, needing to get on with the business of paperwork. He’ll have to go to town likely, and _convince-_ see also: _daze-_ the higher ups into accepting his transfer as quickly as possible. 

You call after him before he leaves, a grimace on your face.

As he turns to look back at you, you sheepishly ask if he can help you out to the bathroom. He stares at you for a moment, before a long-suffering sigh escapes him.

\----------------

You’re settled back in your bed by the time Sebastian comes excitedly running up your porch steps, calling your name. The adult is long gone by then, thankfully, or there’d be some awkward questions to answer.

Unlike Linus, already living here, you don’t think Morrisonia would have any qualms dragging Sebastian back home with him once he leaves. You’ll need to warn him to stay far away.

At your call, Sebastian opens your door and steps inside, your bag held tightly in one hand, and, strangely, a plate of what looks to be raw fish in the other. He’s almost bouncing in place, and a giant grin crosses his lips.

“Liliana! I’m _Fire!!_ I actually _do_ have an Element; can you believe it??”

“Woah, woah, Sebastian! Take it easy,” You laugh at him, wincing through the pain. “Of course I knew you had one- I told _you_ that, didn’t I?”

“Yes, but it was taking so _long_ and you know how I am, I’m _different,_ I wasn’t sure if it would actually be the same and-”

He’s continuing to talk at a rapid-fire pace, you can hardly keep up with his excitement, as he goes on and on speculating about what he can now do and _how cool it is_ and that he’s a _Fire Mage!!_

You just smile and shake your head, amused at his antics, until he realizes you’re just staring at him now with an indulging look on your face and he trails off, a bit embarrassed. He calms himself best he can, and sets the plate down on the table.

“So, uh…” He coughs behind his fist, eyes away from you and with red tinting the upper portion of his cheeks. “I have your bag. It was down at the bottom of the mines still; Linus helped me retrieve it. I haven’t looked yet but… it might not be good news.”

He hands it to you sadly, and you frown and open it to look inside.

_“Oh for fuck’s sake!!”_

He winces at your sudden increase in volume, but there’s nothing he can do. He takes a step back and his foot knocks into something he was sure wasn’t there before. A… box? Filled with clothes?

He looks into it interestingly, half-tuning out your ranting about how _expensive these damn things are_ and _what are you going to do now!?_ And pulls out your cell phone. He didn’t know you had one of these- it being such a modern creation. He asks if he can get your number.

You snap out of your rant and half-frown at him for interrupting you. “Rude, _again,_ Sebastian. Of course we’re up to date on everything the mundanes do. Besides, I’ve been _dying_ without the internet this last week. Gimmeeee-”

He hands your phone to you, and you turn it on. The adult must’ve turned it off to save the battery, thank goodness. It starts up with only a fraction of its power left though- you’ll need to find a way to charge it soon.

To your dismay, you have no connection. You suppose your service provider hadn’t made it out into the boondocks yet. Damnit.

Your head falls back onto your pillows and you sigh. You hand your phone back to him when he asks to see it.

He enters his number into your phone and hands it back to you. “Can’t use it now, obviously, but I can help get you set up with Ferngill Connections later. I can also set up your internet for you when you have power- internet is necessary in my line of work, and with the problems out here I’m pretty skilled now in getting it working. I’m not an electrician though, so Mom will have to do that when she comes by to repair your house.”

You thank him- you hadn’t realized what he could do. He just grins back at you, and pulls out his own phone to start working on getting your data set up with his company.

In the meantime, you stare back down into your bag with a sigh. You open a packet just to be sure, only to see all the seeds inside cooked into a crispy dark brown color. You suppose you’re lucky they hadn’t caught on fire.

The Junimo scrolls however looked perfectly untouched, glowing their usual golden light. Hmm, you wonder…

You look at him, staring intently and tapping at his phone, and wonder if his connections with the Junimos would be of any help to you?

Buying more seeds at this point would put you into the red; you didn’t have more gold to spare. You suppose you could wait for your spring seeds to flourish to give you a bit more cash, but you’re already halfway through the season now- you wouldn’t be able to grow much more. And it’s not like you can go foraging for things to sell right now, either.

He puts his phone away, saying he’s ordered you a new SIM card, but like all deliveries out here it would take a few days. You just pout, but accept the inevitable, and thank him. He smiles back at you happily.

“Sebastian, do you feel up to taking a little trip with me? I think I’ll need your help.”

\----------------

He’d agreed, of course, and helped you back down the bumpy dirt road back into town. You hadn’t been discharged until mid-afternoon, and by this time it was approaching early evening, the sky starting to darken.

He’d just missed Sam coming home from work today, having seen a flash of his bright yellow gravity-defying hair across the plaza, just before he’d walked out of sight. And Abigail, thankfully, was due to be inside by this time, probably playing video games. 

He’s alright with both of these things- he still loves them both like family, but right now he wants to avoid the no-doubt intense _questioning_ that would come about if they found you two together.

Not to mention he’s sure everyone in Abby’s household had heard your dreadful screaming last night. Maybe if he delays your meeting long enough, it’ll be too awkward for her to ask about…

Who is he kidding, it’s _Abby._ She doesn’t know the _meaning_ of proper etiquette. It’s probably the first thing she’ll blurt out the instant she meets you.

Whatever, he decides, he’ll cross - _or burn_ \- that bridge when he comes to it.

Approaching the stairs, he turns you around and starts pulling your chair up step by step, pretending to struggle a bit to keep up appearances. He is sorry for the pain it causes you though, as every bump jostles you and you bite back a pained sound.

He thinks next time you have to come here, if you’re still in the wheelchair at that point, he’ll take you around the long way. It’ll be a bit annoying navigating the backwoods, sure, and take much longer besides, but at least there’s a _slope._

There’s still a couple of people milling around, but as it approaches night most of them are heading home. He pushes you to sit next to the fountain until everyone is gone, and you dip your hand in the water while you wait. He feels you start absorbing the aether, so he sits on the lip and dangles his fingers in too, copying your actions.

You give him a wry smile and move your hand slightly further away from his, and he can tell it’s because your aether-absorbing ability was absolutely _dwarfing_ his own. It _was_ your Element afterall- it was more attracted to you than him.

Hm. He asks quietly, “Sorry, is this another faux pas? Am I allowed to soak it in at the same place you are?”

“A bit.” You respond. “It’d be a bigger issue if we didn’t know each other, or if there wasn’t enough to go around. You’re fine now, though.”

For some reason, he feels a bit closer to you at your acceptance.

\----------------

Once night fully falls and the coast is clear - verified by both of you checking the plant network around you, which you could tell he was giddy at doing again - he pushes your chair up to the Community Center door and knocks for you. The door opens, almost immediately, and you’re invited inside.

He pushes you to the center of the room, and then, feeling a bit awkward to be standing so tall over these tiny creatures, sits crossed-legged by your chair. You kinda wish you could get down to the ground too, still feeling like a giant when the little apple critters surround you, chirping their curiosity.

“Hello, Junimos. I’m sorry, I don’t have any gifts for you today.” You start, and feel bad once the little ones show their sadness. “I have actually come with a request. Can you grant me a favor, if it is within your power?”

Curiosity returns. They focus on your wounds, and if you wish them to heal you?

You hadn’t thought of that- didn’t think they’d be able to do such a thing. You’re tempted, but after a moment’s thought, decline. It would be too suspicious if you were suddenly cured.

“The seeds that I had obtained yesterday, that I was intending to use to grow your gifts… they’ve been ruined. Would you be able to restore them to their previous state?”

You’re happy when an overwhelming feeling of _Yes! Gladly!_ surrounds you, but then it’s mixed with something else, that had you feeling _trepidation._

You wish you could understand their words. You’re confused at what they’re trying to convey to you.

“They can do it, but we’ll have to pay a price.” Sebastian suddenly pipes up next to you. You look over at him gratefully as he translates. 

“May I ask what this price will be?” You say politely, hoping it won't be considered rude to question them. Some beings would display anger at the lack of trust.

Thankfully, they didn’t seem to be one of them. Sebastian furrows his brow, trying to understand their request. “You need… our essence? Together? Fire to… No, the Fire caused the damage, and they need mine to draw it out? And then Water to help nourish them back to life.”

You figure that didn’t sound too bad, and look over at Sebastian to see if he’ll agree. He just nods back at you, no fear on his face.

You’re not sure you could be that nonchalant around mysterious creatures wanting to draw your life essence out of you, but he just agreed without even really knowing what he consented to. You try to explain it to him so he fully understands, but you don’t get halfway through your explanation before he agrees again.

“It’s my fault it happened. Let me do this for you.” He says gently. Your lips purse and you are suddenly swallowing around a knot in your throat. 

The little yellow one in front of you gestures to the two of you together. “Ah, we can’t hold hands.” He says to the Junimos. “It’s too dangerous.”

But it just gestures and chirps again, and Sebastian furrows his brow, looking up at you.

“They can… control your void during this, I suppose? You still have to help them, but it won't be as bad, apparently.”

He offers his hand up to you and holds it there, waiting for you to accept. You just stare into his eyes, baffled.

After everything you tried to instill in him lately, that he will _die_ if he touches you, and it will be a _terribly painful death_ at that… did he absorb none of that? You’d thought you’d gotten through to him.

And yet, he stares up at you now with no fear in his eyes, just waiting for you to accept his help.

You hesitate. Everything you’ve been taught is screaming at you that this is A Bad Idea, but all eyes are on you right now, radiating reassurance.

You focus back on him again, as he quietly says, “I trust you, Liliana.”

Your heart stutters, and you stare down at him, your vision slowly going blurry. 

You lock down every tiny bit of your void you possibly can, take a deep, bracing breath, and take his hand in your own.


	31. Chapter 31

The first thing that registers in your mind is _pain._

Odd, that, being that you don’t _usually_ feel painful when your void was trying to consume Sebastian’s Seed. It’s meant to be the other way around.

And yet nonetheless, the instant you grabbed his hand, the pain struck deep into your mind, and your hand clenched so hard you couldn’t let go even if you had the presence of mind to do so.

Despite the agony dulling your thoughts, you do register, somewhere deep down, that the feeling of connection with him is _nice,_ and that you _really don’t want to let go._ Which is a problem, as your distraction has let your void slip it’s tight leash and suddenly it tugs, full power, at the lifespark in Sebastian’s chest.

He gasps and slumps over into your chair, still holding tight to your hand. A whine starts up in his throat, and it brings enough reason back to your mind to realize _you’re hurting him!!_

You try to let go, but are unable. He is gripping you just as hard as you gripped him, just a moment ago.

He grabs your forearm tightly with his other hand and suddenly _yanks,_ and before you know it you’re tipping over for the second time that day- but this time instead of your soft bed, you land directly on top of Sebastian’s soft body.

He hugs you tightly, pressing his chest as close to yours as he can. He’s broken out in a sweat, eyes clenched tightly in pain, but once he’s got you firmly in his grasp his expression starts to ease, just the tiniest bit. He starts panting and opens his eyes just a sliver to look at you.

Your void is pulsing in time with his core, as it gets closer and closer to devouring it. You fight it as much as you can but it creeps closer, bit by bit, until it’s almost touching. It jerks hard on his Seed one last time, and Sebastian arches his back, crying out, and your void reaches to grab it-!

And then it stops. Everything stops.

The Junimos surround you, chanting in their strange language. Your void is frozen, and if it had a mouth, you could imagine it wide open, sharp teeth exposed, as his lifespark dangles precariously between its jaws.

No, not frozen, you realize with horror. It’s still moving to bite, very slowly. You can only watch as it gently closes its teeth around his core and swallows, fully encapsulating it into your void.

For a moment, you feel…

You feel _powerful._

And then your void releases his Seed, and retreats serenely back deep into your chest.

\----------------

He lays there, you on top of him, as he tightly grips you as close as possible.

That had hurt more than anything he’d ever felt before. More than the last time, even, back when he’d cracked his head in his Mother’s shop.

Yoba, now he knew why you’d felt so damn threatening all the time. 

He was sure he had _died,_ just a moment ago.

But, as far as he could tell, he was still alive. Better yet, he could still feel his Seed pulsing inside of his chest, right where it should be.

He’d felt your void absorb it... hadn’t he?

The Junimos are still chanting, and he tries to focus on their words, but it’s difficult. But he can feel their magic surrounding them, settling gently on their skin. He feels like he’s come home.

The chanting slowly fades as he looks at you, and he realizes that you’re staring back at him, wide-eyed, with shock in your gaze.

He releases his tight hold on you, no longer feeling the dread that something _terrible_ would happen if he were to let go. Even the pain is completely gone.

He realizes suddenly that the room is quiet, and the Junimos are no longer focused on you. He sits up, and helps you to sit up as well on the hard floor.

His hand still grips tight to yours, because he can’t bear to be separated from you. You don’t try to take it away.

He watches the Junimos weave some kind of spell, aether swirling in the air and concentrating around the small mountain of seeds between them. They sparkle and then start to _shine,_ and in a flash, return to how they were yesterday, before your misadventures.

The Junimos chirp - _fixed!_ \- and bounce back over to you both, the yellow one from before leading the way.

It says, - _all done! go nao! help bind, all ok! -_ and then hops away. The others follow it into the hut, and then he’s alone with you.

Being that he’s still gripping tightly to your hand and that your void hasn’t even twitched since it released him, he didn’t see any problem helping you back into your chair. You tense as he picks you up, one arm under your legs and the other behind your back, but quickly ease as nothing happens, and he settles you back into your seat.

He looks over at the pile of seeds, knowing he’ll have to let go of you now, and is reluctant to do so. Before he can, you rest your other hand on top of his, and he looks back at you.

You’re just staring at him, eyes darting between his own. 

\----------------

You’d thought, for sure, this is how it ends.

Your void had swallowed his core, you felt it as it consumed him. He’d been drawn into you, and his heart had stuttered in his chest, beating frantically before slowing almost to a stop.

And then, after it had gotten a taste of his lifespark, and you felt the utter _pleasure_ and _glee_ as one of your deepest cravings was satisfied…

It let go.

You didn’t do that. It did it on its own.

It had willingly let go of something it had been desperate for, trying to get at since you’d met. Had caused so much damage to the both of you in its quest for satiety. And then, once it reached its goal, it… stopped?

Rejected it, almost?

You’d never heard of this happening before. It’s well documented in your history- any void that gets hold of a lifespark will consume it immediately, leaving an empty husk behind that withers away and dies.

You’d _never_ heard of one that, once it had gotten one in its grasp, had _let go._

And besides that, no longer felt _any_ desire to go after it again! It was almost like it ignored his existence now, except that it _didn’t,_ and was fully aware he was there, right next to it, sitting within reach.

The only difference, you felt, between before and after, was that now it was a little bit easier to sense him; easily standing out in your mind, without even needing to think about it.

What... happened?


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look, it suddenly got raised to explicit again. Huh. How did that happen?

Sebastian finally moves to pack away your seeds, and all you can do is continue to stare at him as he moves. You’d been very reluctant to have him release your hand, it had been so _comfortable,_ and you were worried that once he let go the _strangeness_ overtaking your void would fix itself, and you’d both go back to normal.

But as he finished putting them all away into your broken bag and moved to give it to you, your void gave no indication it ever wanted to attack him in the first place. Highly interested in where he was at all times, yes, but absolutely _no_ desire to take his lifespark away.

Peculiar. Curious. Bizarre. Weird.

Vexing. Disturbing. Unsettling. Galling.

You had too many emotions roiling around to settle on just one. Perhaps you should just condense it into an all around confused _What the Fuck?_

You’re not sure you can trust this to last. Junimo magic or not, half-human strangeness or not, you need to be on your guard.

If your void were to suddenly turn and snap at him without warning, you wouldn’t have time to stop it. And he’d be gone.

You resolve to watch it closely, as you would a vicious wild animal that was suddenly acting cute and affectionate.

It’s always those that don’t warn, that bite the hardest.

\----------------

He gives you back your seed-laden bag, and you settle it into your lap, still watching him. He wants to know what you’re thinking, but doesn’t really have the courage to ask. Not just yet.

Instead, he hesitates, then extends his hand again until it’s hovering over yours. He doesn’t touch you, not without permission, and he waits to see if you’ll accept the request.

After a very long moment of staring at both your hands, you take a deep breath and gingerly entwine your fingers with his. He lets out a small exhale and closes his eyes, relishing in the _warmth_ and _comfort_ radiating off you, up his arm and into his heart.

He stands there for a moment more, then reluctantly takes his hand away to move behind you and start maneuvering your chair back out of the Community Center. It was getting really late; he needed to get you home.

The trip back was thankfully uninteresting. He doesn’t think he could handle any more excitement for the night.

\----------------

Even though it was full dark out, you wanted to get these seeds into the ground as soon as possible to repay the Junimos for their favor. You and Sebastian may have ‘paid the price’ for the help, but you could feel the Junimos had taken no more than what was absolutely necessary to weave their magicks. They had done it without benefit to themselves, and you wanted to repay that.

So, with Sebastian’s help, you manage to get them all into the ground that night. He took care of all the hard labor, such as plowing the ground, planting and covering them up, hefting the heavy watering can over each one and refilling it multiple times…

Okay, so maybe you had just watched from the side, cheering him on and feeling guilty you couldn’t do even a single task to help. You couldn’t even water them- the air was bone dry today.

At the end, Sebastian was poking at the palms of his hands, wincing and hissing at the new blisters he’s sure will be there tomorrow. After a moment, you wordlessly ask for his hands, and he gives them to you with no hesitation.

You don’t know how he still trusts you, after what you’d just put him through. That was no doubt the most painful experience either of you had ever been through, and you had no guarantees for him that it wouldn’t happen again. And yet…

He just looks at you, with a soft smile on his face.

You look down at his injured hands, cupped in each of yours, and direct some of the aether bubbling up under you to sooth the wounds and ease away the fluid trying to fill up between the loose layers of skin. You say you’ll give him some gloves next time- you’re sure you have some in that box of yours.

He says nothing, just closes his eyes at your ministrations as you do your best to heal him. You can see all his muscles relax, and you’re almost concerned he’ll fall asleep where he stands. You ease your hands away from his, and he slowly opens his eyes.

“Let’s get you to bed, Liliana. I’ll come back to help you in the morning, alright?”

You just nod and agree, and he wheels you back inside.

At least this time he carries you to bed, rather than tipping you in.

\----------------

Sebastian is slow to return home, feeling more and more reluctant to get further away from you.

He almost turns back more than once, determined to stay next to you even if he has to sleep on the floor, but reason wins out each time. He eventually makes it to his room, and the feel of his wellspring eases over him, making him relax.

He’s tired, ready for sleep, but heads toward his shower instead. Mucking around in the dirt had him filthy. And, he remembered - with no small amount of guilt - that he _still_ hadn’t changed out of his blood-soaked clothes from the day before, being too excited to come find you to tell you about his new Fire discovery.

He’s sure walking around with someone else’s blood on him for so long also crossed some kind of line, but he honestly hadn’t been thinking about it, and nobody had bothered to remind him, so…

He turns on the water and as he waits for it to reach a comfortable temperature, starts stripping off his dirtied clothes. His hoodie still glowed, just the tiniest bit, and he only really noticed if he _really_ tried looking for it.

He’s a bit concerned about you- if it was so dim, did that mean you were in trouble? He frowned heavily, then focused on the roots he could feel just outside his basement wall. He was slow at it, but it would still be faster to check on you through the forest network than to run all the way back to your side.

He reached just outside your house and settled in the giant oak tree, looking into your window to find you calm and asleep in your bed. He took a look around your property just to make sure nobody was lurking, but couldn’t find anything dangerous. He took one more look at you, but you were still peaceful, so he returned back to his body.

Not as tiring as before, and it was a fairly long venture this time. He realized that his wellspring really was a marvel- he loved it here.

But, if you were alright, why the lack of, well, _blood glow?_ If it wasn’t reflecting your life force…

Could it instead be, there wasn’t as much there as he thought? Was he misremembering?

He shook his head and set the hoodie off to the side to launder later. He hopes he can get it all out- he’s not going to go without his hoodie, _ever._

He strips out of the rest of his dry, unsoiled clothing, and climbs under the water.

\----------------

He’s so very tempted, once he’s in the shower, to continue the new _ritual_ that has occupied his life constantly lately. He certainly had enough glimpses of you over the past two days, all the flashes of bare skin, of tantalizing positions, of the reflection he saw in the glass as you changed out of your gown…

But he restrained himself, out of respect for you- you were no longer an unknown. He felt entirely too guilty to think that way about you now, as some _object._

Not that the insistent organ down below was pleased about it, but he could be very stubborn when he wanted to be.

So he just ignored it, as best he could. He slipped on his sleep pants and crawled under the covers.

It took a long time for him to fall asleep.

\----------------

In the back of his mind, he knew this couldn’t be real. That he was dreaming.

You were standing in front of him, uninjured, and completely nude. Your nipples were perked up, and you had one hand on your hip, thrust out to the side as you leaned forward slightly, calling for him.

He shivered at the sound of your voice, tongue curling around his name. He hadn’t thought it could sound so _seductive_ before, but you proved him wrong.

You curl your finger at him, beckoning, and he hastily steps up to you. You hook your fingers into the front of his jeans and pull yourself against him, and he can feel your breasts press into him, nipples rubbing his front. He hands grip your waist and he holds you there, pressed fully up against each other without an inch of space. He groans as you slowly writhe against him, stimulating him through his pants, and his hands slide down to grip your ass to help you move against him.

He’s on top of you in his bed now, and he’s dressed only in his underwear. He lowers himself down on top of you, pressed against your heat through the layer of cloth. He props himself up on his elbows above you and brushes his lips lightly over yours, teasingly. You groan slightly as you try to catch his lips in yours, but he just chuckles and doesn’t allow it.

You huff and wrap your arms around his shoulders, and your legs around his waist, and pull him down into you. He’s momentarily paralyzed at the _delicious_ feeling of rubbing against you, and you manage to capture his bottom lip and gently bite it. He closes his eyes and moans, finally deepening the kiss, letting his tongue slide over yours as you both start breathing heavier and heavier.

He finally breaks it to look down at you, chest heaving as you catch your breath, flushed cheeks and swollen, red lips. You look at him with half-lidded eyes, and then pull him down again to continue.

He lets you, wrapping one arm under your shoulders so the other can wander down your body, sliding down your smooth skin, stopping briefly to cup your breast and thumb over your nipple as you gasp into his mouth. He continues firmly down your soft side, then to ghost patterns with his fingertips over your stomach, then down to the curve of your hip. He reaches around to grab a handful of your rear, and pulls you up at the same time as he thrusts down against you.

You gasp again and your head falls back, breaking the kiss, but he doesn’t mind. Your bare, exposed neck is in front of him, and he attacks it immediately, kissing at it and gently sucking and biting, wanting to leave his mark on you but not wanting to hurt you at the same time. By your sounds he can tell you’re enjoying it _very_ much, so he continues more roughly.

Your hands are on his stomach and the skin under your fingers tighten as you slide lower to the edge of the cloth. Before he knows it his underwear is around his knees and your hand is around his cock, slowly pumping him. He stops his ministrations for a moment, burying his face in your neck and _moaning,_ trying to thrust into your grip.

You help him fuck your hand, pressing him against your mound as he ruts against you, your other hand reaching down to gently fondle his balls at the same time. He throws his head back and groans loudly, stopping himself- just panting, unmoving.

You shift your legs up so your knees are around his sides and you position the tip of his cock at your entrance. He screws his eyes shut, trying to control himself, but you just wrap an arm around his shoulders to pull yourself up, panting into his ear-

“Oh _please,_ please fuck me Sebastian… Make love to me.”

And his hips snap forward, filling you to the brink. You gasp and sigh in pleasure, both your hands reaching down to grip hard at his ass, keeping him fully inside you as you adjust to the feeling.

His head drops back down into your neck as he waits for you to start moving again. He doesn’t have to wait long until you’re begging him again, begging him to _move,_ to give you _more-!_

He’s overstimulated. He’s trying to move gently against you but you’re still pleading, asking him to be rough, to give it to you good and hard.

So he does, arms wrapping around you, face still buried into your neck so he can concentrate, as his hips slam against yours over and over, going faster and faster at your encouragement until he’s jackhammering against you and he’s gasping and groaning and he can’t hold back-

And you whisper into his ear to _please cum inside you_ and his heart stutters, before his groin presses flush up against yours as he lets himself release, seed pumping into you over and over.

His eyes fly open with a gasp as he feels himself orgasm- one of the strongest he’s had since he started fantasizing about you days ago.

He’s panting into his sheets, face down, grinding his cock into his mattress to ride out the last few aftershocks, before he relaxes with a big sigh, finally sated.

After a few minutes of soaking in the feeling, he rolls out of bed, shakily making his way to the bathroom to clean up the mess in his pants.


	33. Chapter 33

You wake up suddenly with a gasp, flushed, sweaty, and your fingers buried deep inside you.

You’d just had the most _vivid dream,_ starring none other than the subadult you’ve been spending a lot of time around recently.

You gingerly withdraw your fingers, wincing a little bit, and you stare at the shiny liquid tying them together, tinted with just the barest hint of red.

Why did you just have a dream about mating with Sebastian? You’d thought you’d suppressed your heat already! You hadn’t felt any desires overtaking you the last couple of days, aside from the occasional shivers you’d had as you caught him looking at you.

And, that one time he’d _moaned_ while eating that parsnip, of course. That had been a _delightful_ sound.

You shake your head and let your hand fall back to your side, letting yourself calm down from the dream. Your flushed skin slowly eases, and you get your panting back under control.

You’d snapped out of the dream at the best part, too… you hadn’t even gotten to finish. You're still so tightly wound, with the energy brimming through you, making your legs shake.

You lay there staring up at the dark ceiling, clean hand pressing over the side of your neck, as frustration settles into your bones.

You can almost feel the teeth marks he’d left on your skin.

\----------------

Light shined through your window the next morning, and you groan, trying to pull your covers up over your head, but are not quite able to do so.

A knock at your door makes you blink sleepily awake and look over, and you can see Sebastian’s dark clothing as he stands patiently waiting for you to answer.

You yawn, and first take the opportunity to stretch as best you can, testing your hurt arm over your head.

Ah, good, it’s healing well. Already you have much less pain when moving it. That’s a relief.

You look out at Sebastian again, and he’s facing into your field now, back ramrod straight. You call out to him worriedly- is there something out there?

You pull the covers back up over your bare shoulders as he cracks your door open to answer. His back is still to the door, standing outside, and reassures you there’s nothing.

At the door opening you hunch down a bit further, trying to hide, and call for him not to come in just yet. You needed to get dressed.

You can see him nod and close the door again, to your relief. You’re reluctant to grab the same outfit you had on yesterday, but you’re unable to reach anything new from your crate from the bed, so with a sigh you throw the covers back and ease your bare body into your chair in search of more clothes.

After digging through the box, you manage to grab one of your own button-up skirts - though much shorter than Haley’s, only going to mid thigh - and locate a matching shirt to go with it. You hesitate at your underwear, but with a huff decide to leave it- there’s no way you can slip them up over your cast, and having a bra around your ribs is just asking for torture. You slip on a hoodie over your head instead, and hope it’s enough to hide any unfortunate reactions.

You rinse your mouth quickly and then call for him to come in as you’re brushing out your hair, trying to look presentable. He takes so long that you think maybe he hadn’t heard you, but the door does eventually click open and he steps inside.

He’s not looking at you, oddly, with the barest hint of red on his cheeks.

Seeing him like that, you’re suddenly reminded of your dream last night, and feel your own cheeks heat in response.

You can’t quite look at him either, and just stare at a point over his shoulder. You clear your throat, “Hey. Good morning. Thanks for coming to help, again.”

He nods, takes a deep breath, and finally looks at you. “Are you feeling any better, today? Is there anything you need me to do?”

“Mm!” You hum, and smile. “Much better this morning! My shoulder should be fully healed soon, and my ribs are a bit less sore this morning. The holes will take a bit longer, so I should still avoid heavy activity for now.”

He starts nodding, but stops and his brows furrow. “Holes?” He asks, confusion in his voice.

“Yes, the holes made by my splintered ribs. Did you not know of them?” He shakes his head, eyes widening. “They’d punctured my liver, lungs, and heart, but Linus removed them just before I’d passed out.”

He looked you over worriedly, as if seeing you from the outside would help him assess how damaged you were on the inside. How cute.

“I’ll be alright, Sebastian.” You smile at him as his eyes snap back to your face. “I’d plugged them up before I lost consciousness, and now I’m just waiting for them to heal. The ones in my liver are almost done, actually- it regenerates fairly quickly.”

He just nods again, much slower this time, and he approaches where you sit. You keep a firm eye on your void, still sucking up the aether underneath you like no tomorrow, but around him it’s still behaving in its odd, serene way.

He offers his hand to you, and after a moment you take it, entangling your fingers with his. He grins down at you, eyes shut and happy.

You get lost in his expression for a moment, feeling so at ease with the happiness radiating off of him, and only snap back to yourself when he opens his eyes to look at you.

You clear your throat again, but don’t take your hand away from his. You instead draw his attention to the sashimi he left on your table yesterday. “Hungry?”

He looks at it sadly, “It’s not any good anymore though, is it? It’s been left out in the warm air all night…”

You pick up a piece and show it to him- still as fresh and firm as when it was cut. He takes it from you and inspects it from all angles, blinking.

“I take it you didn’t make it for me, then.” You chuckle at him, feeling only the slightest twinge of protest from your ribs. “Darn. I was looking forward to it.”

“Ah, no, sorry. Linus made this for me, he said as an apology for being angry. Is it really still okay?”

“Try it and see,” You encourage, and he pops it into his mouth, chewing slowly. He comes abruptly to a stop, humming in pleasure.

He exclaims, “Delicious!” and quickly reaches for another one, popping that one into his mouth too. His eyes close as he chews, and you agree, the most _delicious_ sounds are coming from his throat right now…

With a blink you snap yourself out of it, shifting slightly in your chair as the sounds above you continue.

You clear your throat again, “Yea… whatever fish that was from, it was a very high quality one, infused with a _lot_ of aether. That must’ve been some apology.”

He’s smiling down at you now, chewing another piece. He looks at the half-demolished plate, and with only the barest hint of hesitance, picks it up and offers it to you.

“It’s one of my favorite dishes, actually, but after this I’m not sure how I can go back to the regularly-prepared kind.” He chuckles, sheepishly. “Have the rest; I’m sure you need it far more than me.”

You try to protest, saying it’s _his_ apology fish, but he just leaves the plate on your lap, and the backs of his fingers brush lightly over your thigh as he pulls away. Your brain short-circuits for a moment, and by the time you come back to yourself, he’s smiling smugly down at you like he’s won.

You gently extract your hand from his, and lift the plate up with your good arm. You just smile back at the pout in his eyes.

Lifting a piece, you slowly put it teasingly between your lips, not breaking eye contact. That smug smile abruptly drops from his face, and his pupils blow wide, eyes somehow darkening further as he stares at you.

You chew slowly and swallow, and he follows the movement of your throat, then snaps back to your lips as you lift another piece to them. His hands clench into fists by his side as he watches you.

He doesn’t do anything but watch intently as you get to the last piece, almost palpable tension radiating from him, and, reluctant to let your revenge end so soon, this time make sure to _moan_ after you swallow.

His lips crash to yours, hands tangled into the hair at the back of your neck, and, through your dazed mind, you think maybe that wasn’t such a good idea.

\----------------

It was too much. He’d woken up that morning thinking about how _hot_ his dream the night before had been, but he'd again refused to do anything about it, so that had already started his day off on the wrong foot.

Then, when he’d arrived at your door, he could see you stretch in the reflection of your window, and he’d known you were naked under your covers.

And _then_ , he was unable to tear his eyes away from the sight of your completely bare body for the second time ever, as you moved around your room and pulled on your clothes. He knew you weren't wearing any underwear, and his eyes had locked to the _very short skirt_ barely managing to cover what he most wanted to see.

The last straw was you teasing him with the meat between your lips, eyes locked to his, and that _sound_ emerging from your throat as you swallowed around it…

The image had immediately been replaced by you swallowing around _something else,_ and it was all he could do to redirect his focus, pulling your lips to his own, rather than what he'd _actually_ wanted to do with your pretty little mouth.

He’d broken away from you only seconds later, panting heavily and _lust_ still heavy in his half-lidded eyes. He untangles his hands from you, gripping hard to your armrests instead.

He closes his eyes, unable to take the look of your lips already starting to redden and swell from their abuse, so akin to the vision he’d had of you last night.

“Sorry.” He says shortly, unable to say more, getting himself under control. “I’m sorry. I’m leaving now.”

He stands up tall, the evidence of your effect on him _very_ obvious in front of you, but he doesn't try to hide it. He instead takes another deep breath with eyes still closed, and turns back toward the door.

He’s stopped by the grip you have on the back of his hoodie, but he doesn’t turn around to face you, tension still gripping his body.

You audibly swallow, then say, “No Sebastian, _I’m_ sorry. I shouldn’t have done that to you. Please don’t go...”

With a shaky exhale, he nods. He gently extricates himself from your grip and says he’ll be outside for a moment.

He lights up a cigarette the moment he’s there, the first he’s allowed himself to have in days. 

He breathes in the hot smoke again and again, calming himself down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You thought I'd forgotten about the fish, hadn't you!?
> 
> I did, actually. But I think I turned it into something memorable, don't you? This is why you should point out any inconsistencies you see.
> 
> By the way, if you read this story early on, you may want to read through it again. I've ended up tweaking a few things.


	34. Chapter 34

He lights up a second cigarette, then a third, and by the end of it he’d finally managed to calm himself down enough that the hardness in his pants went from _painful_ to just _uncomfortable._

Uncomfortable, he could live with.

You maneuver your chair out to join him on the porch, and you stare out over your field as you wait for him to finish, the sunrise barely peeking out over the trees.

He looks down at you from the corner of his eye, last of the cigarette dangling between his lips, as he takes in your image.

His thoughts immediately start to wander back to unsafe territory, and he rips his gaze away from you to watch the sunrise as well. He thinks it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to lay eyes on you the rest of the day.

You clear your throat again, and start by saying, “I’m sorry, again, Sebastian. That was cruel of me, to tempt you so. I hadn’t realized you were still gripped so strongly by your heat, and I was very frustrated this morning, but that's no excuse. I’ll control myself better going forward. I won't do it again. I promise.”

He nods, unable to look at you, unable to say anything. He swallows around the lump in his throat and _wishes you would,_ but he knows it wouldn’t be in his best interest for either of you to give in, so he restrains himself.

He takes a deep, lasting breath, then straightens, turning to face you and eyes fixed solidly on the ground. You offer your hand up to _him_ this time, and he’s the one who must reach to take it, wrapping his fingers between yours.

It’s another apology, he knows, and he gladly accepts it. He instantly feels at ease, as the soothing aura covers his body and relaxes all the tension he’d just been under. He smiles at the ground.

It really is the best feeling. He’s _so glad_ he can touch you now... he'd only felt snatches of it before, buried deeply under the terrible _threat,_ but now he feels it flow undiluted into him with every touch.

It's a very addicting feeling, and he'd be happy receiving it as much as possible for the rest of his life. 

He asks you what needs to be done today, and you request he help you down to the field.

\----------------

It’s muggier today, as you can feel a storm approaching the horizon. You look forward to it, always happy to be out in a downpour, even when you remember you _probably_ shouldn’t be getting your injuries and bandages wet.

But screw it, you think. What’s better healing for you than to be surrounded by water lashing all over you?

Sebastian parks you at the edge of your large plot, full of spring seeds growing beautifully, and the variety of new seeds planted just last night, already with little sprouts poking through the soil. You mentally check all of their progress, enjoying their little lives as they pulse in the soil, drawing up nutrients. You take a quick glance around your property as well, making sure you’re alone.

He asks again how he can help you, but you just smile and explain there’s no need today- you can do it. He can just enjoy the show.

He wants to look at you, you can tell, but he’s doing a remarkable job restraining himself, so you don’t push him. You just instead will the water in the air to gather around you, turning into dark, mini-rainclouds hovering just over your head.

They move slowly over the field, and you refill them as they empty their rainwater over your crops, until every last one is sitting in wet soil. You feel them happily draw in the water through their roots to nourish their little leaves, and you smile.

You let all but one raincloud disperse, and the last one just hovers over the center of your field. You let Sebastian take a step closer to examine it- he’d, obviously, never seen a cloud close up before. He even tries to poke it, just to see what it’s like, but the mist just parts around his hand, and when he pulls it back it’s covered in dew.

He laughs in almost child-like wonder, wiping the water away on his clothes. He just leans forward to look at it more closely, only for his breath to blow it apart into wisps, which you let disperse rather than form into a single cloud again. 

He’s visibly pouting at this, but accepts that it’s gone, and returns to your side, grinning. At your request he lifts you up the stairs again, and gets you settled back in bed - on top of your covers this time - and moves your crate closer to you so you can pick through it as you please.

“Sebastian,” You say, after selecting a book and settling it on your lap. He looks up at you quickly, then catches himself, and looks back down at the floor again. “I’ll need you to clear out for the rest of the day. An adult from the home island will be coming by sometime, and we really shouldn’t let him know you’re here. He might take you back with him.”

His face twists into a frown at your words, that turns into a worried one when you reach the end of your warning.

“How long will he be here for? Just the day, I hope?”

His enthusiasm to be near you is endearing. Though you don’t really want for him to leave, either.

“...Unfortunately, he saw me injured already, and he’s making plans to stay in town until I fully recover. I hope that means until my bones have healed, and _not_ until I’ve mastered my void… but I’ll try to send him off as quickly as possible. Until then, you’ll need to avoid him entirely, and only come near me if you’re _sure_ he’s not.”

He sits on the edge of your bed, still frowning, and gives a reluctant sigh.

He’s silent for a while. You are curious what he’s thinking, but don’t interrupt, knowing he’ll talk to you when he’s ready. You just wait patiently, staring at the side of his face.

He ducks his head, hiding behind the long fringe of his hair, and asks, “Is it… is _he_ someone you’re close to, then?”

You tilt your head, pondering if he’s asking what you think he’s asking. To be on the safe side, you decide to ease his worries, non-existent or not. 

“Not in the sense that we’re interested in each other, no. He was my - our - Adult supervisor on the home island, for when I and the other subadults worked in our Joja branch. His name is Morrisonia. Morris, to the mundanes.”

He looks visibly relieved at that, so you guess you assumed right- he _was_ worried an old flame of yours had come to visit. 

Had he been jealous? You smile indulgently at the thought.

“He knew my Grandfather, so he’d been searching all the places of rest he knew to see if he could find me. We do leave rather _suddenly,_ after all, when our Sundering happens, and usually an Adult we know is sent out to find us and check on our progress. He brought me all my old stuff, even, for which I’m _so glad.”_

He twitches at your voicing of gratitude to another male. It’s so subtle you might have missed it if you hadn’t been looking, but it’s confirmed- he _was_ jealous.

You reach out and rest your hand lightly over his, and he flips his palm over and holds it tight. You pour as much _reassurance_ as possible into him, though it doesn’t work quite so neatly on him that it does on animals. Still, it’s enough, and he relaxes in your grip.

Reluctantly, you decide to get him out of there before he gets caught, and you shoo him back home.

\----------------

He’s assaulted by his family the instant he walks through the door.

First, it was his Mother, who hadn’t seen him since he’d been begging her to drive you to the clinic. She wasn’t panicking yet solely because Maru had seen him both that night and the next day, but as far as she knew he hadn’t come in the last two nights. In truth, he’d just came home long after they’d fallen asleep, and left before they’d awoken that morning.

He felt bad for worrying her; he hadn’t even thought about it. He just awkwardly patted her on her back as she demanded to know where he’d been. He told the truth, that he had been with you, trying to help you with your farm work as you were now debilitated. And that he _had_ come home last night, they just hadn’t seen him.

 _That_ had sparked into Demetrius, as he’d heard the younger man’s voice from his lab and had come out to confront him, too.

He clenched his jaw as his stepfather openly questioned his ability to help - _You, Sebastian? Helped with_ **_farm work?_ ** _Don’t make me laugh -_ but bit his tongue instead of retaliating.

He was having to exercise quite a lot of restraint today.

His Mother just asked how you were doing, and he turned away from Demetrius without even bothering to acknowledge his comments.

“She’s doing… alright, but overall it was pretty bad. Broken leg, broken ribs, badly strained shoulder. She’s resting at home now- I’ve already taken care of her crops for the day.”

His Mother just gives him another big hug, saying how proud she was of him, taking care of their town’s new resident like that. He just scratches his cheek, awkward, until his Mom lets him go with a big smile.

“Will she need any more help today? I can pop down there to take care of her- I can skip the gym this week, they won’t mind.”

“Nah, Mom, that’s okay. She, coincidentally, already had a friend coming in to visit her from out of town today, so she’ll be alright. I’ll ask her tomorrow if she’d like you to come down though, okay?”

His Mom nods, happily, and gives him one last hug, before slipping out the door, now running late for her class. He just waves her goodbye, and turns back to the taller man still in the room, staring at him with his arms crossed authoritatively.

He just stares back, not in the mood to deal with him, but knowing he’d get no peace if he didn’t. But he wasn’t going to be the first one to crack- he’ll stand here all day if he has to, but he is _not_ going to be the one to breach the silence.

He doesn't have to wait long before the interrogation begins.

“And how,” Demetrius starts, “Did you and that homeless man come across that young lady, so badly injured?”

He’s not sure what he’s implying, but he’s already got all hackles raised at his tone. He snaps back, “Linus pulled her out of the mines. She said she’d _fallen,_ and had hit the ground hard. I saw him carrying her, and followed.”

No lies. The best truth is always hidden without any lies- just _misdirection_ and _omission._

“Ah.” Says Demetrius, eyes narrowing further at him. It makes him nervous, but he refuses to shift- to give himself away. He just stares back, face smoothed into non-expression.

It’s tested immediately, at his stepfather’s next words, “And _why,_ Sebastian, did I find _your weapon_ out by the mines, absolutely _drenched in blood?”_

His mind freezes for a second, trying to think how to get out of this one. He hadn’t fought anything with blood - not red, anyway, the rock crabs’ had been blue - which just left when you’d both landed at the bottom of that elevator shaft. It must’ve become covered then.

He can see how damning this would seem to someone like Demetrius. Though judging from his Mother’s reaction this morning, perhaps he’d wanted to confront him first before bringing it up with anyone else?

...How unusually kind of him.

His expression twitches, just the slightest bit despite his attempts to keep nonchalant, and his stepfather’s face becomes hard in even deeper suspicion.

“Sebastian. You have one chance to convince me you did _nothing_ to that girl, and you’d better do it _right now.”_

“...I was in the mines, too.” He starts, slouching his posture and shifting his eyes away, trying to act contrite, submissive. He’d not been allowed into the mines even before the rockslide had blocked it off, so he might get away with acting like his guilt was from disobeying their wishes. “...I’d been curious about them, and decided to explore. I’d heard a loud scream and a crash, and saw her at the bottom of a mine shaft.

“I couldn’t reach her, not without any help, so I dropped my mace to her for her to protect herself with while I went to find someone. She’d been bleeding quite heavily then- it was _everywhere.”_

He’s quiet for a moment, not meeting his stepfather’s eyes. At his silence, he continues, “I found Linus just outside, and got him to help me. Between the two of us we were able to get her out, and Linus was able to get her back to his fire, as she was going into shock. He asked me to go get the truck, and I did. End of story.”

The silence continues, but Sebastian does not dare meet his eyes, sure if he did he’d be able to see the absolute _lies_ that just poured from his lips.

He heard and physically _felt_ his stepfather come closer, to stop directly in front of him. He still had his hackles up at the insinuation that he had _attacked you,_ but was still hoping the older man would believe his tale. 

He tensed as he felt Demetrius suddenly move.


	35. Chapter 35

He flinched, half-expecting for his stepfather to hit him, though he had never done such a thing before.

But instead, his hands just settled gently on his shoulders. After a moment, a bit stunned, Sebastian looked up into the taller man’s face, trying to read his expression. There was a serious look in his eye still, but the tiniest smile was hinting at the corner of his lips.

“I didn’t really think you’d do anything, Sebastian. You aren’t that kind of person. But you have to admit the circumstances were… suspicious. Especially after I found your mace out there. So, I had to be sure.”

He nods, but says nothing in return, unsure of what to say. His stepfather is never this… _kind_. He’s always yelling at him for one thing or another, or just accusing him of being downright _lazy._ So he doesn’t know how to respond to this quiet, _soft_ Demetrius he’s never seen before.

“You’d been frantic that night you burst in, and when you took off again in the truck you’d had us all worried. For an instant, your mother had thought you were trying to leave us, though that hadn’t made sense- you wouldn’t have taken the truck for that, nor looked so panicked while doing so. And then, when you’d climbed behind the wheel again, you were so _pale_ and you’d stopped breathing…”

He hadn’t thought he’d looked so bad, but now he understands why Demetrius had practically dragged him out of the cab in that condition.

“Well, I was just glad you were alright. I know we don’t see eye-to-eye very often, Sebastian. I _do_ know you try, and that you’re not just some ingrate trying to loaf around his mother’s house for the rest of his life. I’m sorry that I’ve not been very supportive of you.

“I’m proud of you. I want you to know that, even if you don’t accept it. I’m proud of you for your actions two days ago, trying to get that girl the help she needed. You didn’t hesitate, or shirk your duty, and you asked for help when you knew you needed it.”

During his stepfather’s speech, his head had slowly dropped so that his face was concealed by his hair as he was staring at the ground. The hands still on his shoulders tightened, just a fraction, until he looked back up into his eyes.

“You’re a good man, Sebastian. I’m glad we have a son like you.”

\----------------

He lay on his bed in the dark, staring at his ceiling, the conversation with his stepfather continually replaying over and over in his mind.

Proud of him, huh.

He can’t say he’d ever felt that from Demetrius before. His Mom, sure, he always felt loved and cared for by her, and she’d always been proud of him even if she didn’t understand what he did for a living. He paid his rent on time, and kept to himself, and that was all he wanted.

Demetrius was always demanding he come out of his room, to go do some chore or errand or another. Always making him feel like he needed to earn his keep, even though he already paid for his water and electricity and internet and food. He only ever came up for dinner because it was requested of him, not because he wanted to freeload on his Mom’s hard work.

And she always looked so damn happy when he did join them, so how could he not? Even if the atmosphere at the table was always uncomfortable, with his stepfather’s accusations and questions about getting a job or going back to school or just _doing something with his life._

The more he thinks about it, the more he can’t find supporting evidence that his stepfather had ever been proud of him. That he’d ever done anything that he ever _would_ be proud of him for, if he ever wanted or needed it.

And yet, he can’t say that he had been lying.

Demetrius had looked completely and utterly sincere when he’d said it. During the entire talk even, he couldn’t detect even a single lie. The conflicting information in his mind made him confused.

He continued staring up at the ceiling, seeing nothing, thoughts going in circles.

\----------------

You’re glad you had sent Sebastian away when you did.

Apparently Morrisonia had been in overdrive, getting his transfer pushed through as fast as possible. You’re not entirely sure _how,_ being that the closest Joja headquarters you knew of was in Zuzu City - four hours away by bus - and he’d left only yesterday evening. How did he even find anyone working that late to approve it?

But nope, not half an hour after Sebastian had left, he was knocking at your door in full Joja manager uniform, big disgusting pink bowtie and all. It made you shiver in terror, your last miserable years pretending to be a mundane flashing by your eyes.

Nope. You’re done, never again. You don’t care if this farming thing never works out, you are _not_ going back into the mundane workforce again for the rest of your natural life.

Fuck. That.

Now if only you could make some damn income, you’d be set.

He was off to go check in at his new store in town, introduce himself to all the employees and start whipping it into shape. Apparently, according to Head Office, being out in the middle of nowhere made the place slip its standards into practically non-existence, and they’d tasked him with fixing it up.

He looked oh-so-thrilled with being given work to do. You knew he’d rather just be a laid-back, hands off type of Manager for a while before going back. But tough, he’d asked for it, requesting to be transferred all the way out here. If you had to be miserable, then so would he.

You willfully neglect to think about _why_ he was making you miserable, being that he was doing this out of concern for you and had come to deliver your possessions out of the kindness of his heart. But you _wanted_ to be pissed at him for his interference and possible threat to your happiness, so you were going to be pissed damnit.

He pushes up his fake glasses and looks at you through them, wanting to know why you had such a sour look on your face. You half-lie and tell him the uniform is bringing up bad memories for you. He just laughs and nods his head in understanding, completely agreeing with you. He can’t wait until he ‘dies’ and can move onto some other industry on the main island.

He kindly asks if you need anything, but you decline. You exchange phone numbers with him so he can stay in touch with you, rather than just randomly popping in whenever he feels like it, but you do warn him you’re still waiting for your new SIM card to arrive.

He smirks and eyes you over the top of his glasses. “Well now, if I’d known you still needed help with that, I would’ve picked you up one yesterday when I did mine. Ah well, c’est la vie.”

You swear he’s mocking you, so you just glare at him until he leaves, laughing.

Such an asshole. Why do you put up with him?

\----------------

You hadn’t thought the visit would be gotten out of the way so early, and now you’re left alone, with little to do except try to entertain yourself by reading. Unfortunately, every book you own is something you’d already read, and you weren’t keen on re-reading things until most of the details had escaped your memory. Just a personal quirk of yours.

You try reading the book you’d picked out earlier anyway, but it just annoyed you too much, and you couldn’t find a replacement in the box. 

So, no books- none you want to read.

No laptop- currently dead, no power.

No cellphone- almost dead, no connection.

No movies- again, no power.

And no _company_ either, for the rest of the damn day. If you’re lucky Morrisonia will briefly check in on you after his shift, but even then that shouldn’t last longer than a couple of minutes.

You sit there, unable to really go anywhere, slowly going insane.

My, this feels awfully familiar. You thought you'd graduated from that feeling, finally coming here to the Valley.

...You miss Sebastian.

You decide you'll go explore the forest network to see if there was anything interesting.

\----------------

He lays there until a text from Sam lights up his phone, complaining about something as usual, asking if he has time to hang out or talk today.

For once, he’s actually _not_ working, but he still doesn’t feel up to leaving his room. He could use the distraction though, so he turns on his computer and starts up a new chat.

_Hey._

**Bro! You’re up early. I hadnt been expecting your answer until at least 11. Whats up?**

_Not much. Had a very… weird… conversation with Demetrius earlier._

**Wanna talk about it?**

_… I don’t know. It’s so strange._

_You know that the new farmer was injured a few days ago?_

**Yea, heard that she fell or something and broke her leg**

**What about it, fam?**

_I was one of the ones who helped after she was injured._

_I drove mom’s truck to go get her, so she could get to the clinic. And he was there, he saw me do it._

_But, just now, he fucking accused me of -attacking her- like what the fuck? That me and the old dude Linus up the hill just mauled her or something._

**Woah. Thats some fucked up shit**

**What the hell**

**Please tell me you fucked him up for saying that kinda crap**

_No, because then he did a complete 180 and said I wasn't the kind of person who'd do something like that and that he was proud of me??_

_Like, what? he goes from saying im the one who did it to of course i didnt do it_

_and then he starts getting all sappy at me on how proud he is im their son and im a good man and i didnt shirk my duty helping her, whatever_ **_that_ ** _fucking means_

_im not sure how I should take this_

_hes never been proud of me for_ **_anything_** _. the complete opposite usually, that im always such a disappointment_

_does it sound like hes fucking with me?_

The more he rants to Sam and really spells it out, the more coherent it becomes, and he finally starts organizing his thoughts about why that conversation had so muddled his mind.

**...I dunno dude**

**Almost kinda sounds like he cares about you?**

**In a really fucked up way**

**Who the hell accuses their kid of fucking someone up? Especially when theyd seen they were helping??**

_...Yea._

_I dunno. I got the feeling he was being genuine about it, strange as it was._

_The proud bit, not the fucking up someone bit._

_...I guess I’ll just have to wait and see if he means it. If anything changes, or if it all just goes back to the usual crap he throws at me._

_But, thanks for letting me rant at you._

_What was it you wanted to talk about?_

**Aww, dude, always**

**< 3**

He just shakes his head. Sam always did embarrassing stuff like this; it was just something he’d had to learn to live with. He ignores it and waits for him to continue.

**But anyway**

**I’m annoyed cuz the Jojamart is getting a new manager, apparently**

**Some dude who just came outta fuckin nowhere with no warning**

**Transferred yesterday night, starts today**

**Shane gonna tell me how it goes. Cant waaaaait to meet him tomorrow.**

**FFS**

Someone moving in with no warning? He bets he knows who that is.

Well, at least it’ll make it easier to avoid him. Hopefully he’ll have to stay there all day like a normal shift slave instead of slacking off. If so, he could visit you during the day without much worry.

_Damn, sorry Sam. That’s gonna suck._

_Let me know how it goes. Kinda wanna know what happens._

**… I wasn’t actually expecting you would be** **_interested_** **, fam**

**No offense**

**Just that youre showing interest in some new dude who youll probably never cross paths with**

**Its… kinda weird not gonna lie**

**… You gay, bro? No judgement**

...How in the hell did he get onto that? Just from him saying he wants to hear Sam no-doubt complain about it again tomorrow.

_One, fuck off._

_Two, I’m not gay. We had this discussion already._

_Three, I just wanted to know how much I should laugh at you, actually having to work for once instead of goofing off listening to music all day._

_Asshole._

**Hey, goofing off while still getting paid was the fucking best okay**

**And, please stay away from it Seb, I cant trust you near it now**

***covers ass***

_Oh, for_

_I repeat point number one. I’m leaving._

**See ya fam! Let you know what happens later**

He rests his head in his hand and gives a deep sigh. His brother could really be annoying sometimes.

Well, that’s what brothers are meant to do, he guesses.

Shutting off his computer, not feeling up to accepting any new work at the moment, he lay on his bed to doze, and hopefully catch a bit more sleep.

He didn’t really get much the night before, after all.


	36. Chapter 36

You're tempted to go find Sebastian, to maybe see if you could get his attention somehow; let him know it was safe to come back. You don't know how you'd accomplish that though- see if you could wiggle a leaf, or something?

Morse code, folded leaf style. Yea, because that's not weird and alarming at all. 

Well, you figure it'll be nice to check in on him anyway, even if you can't communicate, so you let your mind leisurely wander over to the carpentry shop. You're in no rush, and take the time to enjoy the mental stroll through the forest. 

The vibrant green leaves warm from the sun; the squirrels hopping from branch to branch; an acorn, about to erupt from the soil. 

Everything has its place, and everything is connected.

It all just feels… _right_. 

You lose yourself in your wanderings.

\----------------

Sadly, despite your searching, you can't actually find a way to look at Sebastian. The closest you can get is some thin roots just outside the brick wall of the basement, but with no connecting plant life inside, you're stuck out there. 

Frustratingly, you can feel him just on the other side of the wall, you just can't get to him. 

So much for your ridiculous leaf-based communication shenanigans. Maybe if you get him a potted plant, you’ll be able to hop the wall...

Though, you take a second thought at that invasion of privacy. Who knows what he could be doing in there, when he doesn’t even know that you’re watching.

Yea, maybe not.

Well, just being able to feel him was good enough. You turn away, knowing you'll see him again later, and move on. 

You circle the lake, relishing in the feel of the refreshing breeze blowing through the grass. 

You take a dip to the plants under the water and watch the fish swim by. 

You pop on over when you see Linus by the water's edge, wanting to thank him for helping you, but he's completely unaware of your presence. You'll do it in person, soon. 

You leisurely stroll southward to the town, and then settle in a tree overlooking a small field. An old dog snuffles at the ground in his pen, and a young man leans over the fence, talking to him. 

Alex, you think is maybe his name, the adorable one trying to impress you with his silly ball skills. You'd been a little bit put off by his arrogance, but as you watch his happy, animated expression as he talks to the hound, you feel maybe he's not so bad. 

You stay there for a while, up in the branches, just letting life fly on by. A few people wander around the square, not in any rush but also seeming to know where they’re going.

A few women, you notice, all heading toward Pierre’s shop next to you. You recognize Marnie, noting how happy she looks, and smile down at her. You remember your meeting- she had a lovely spirit. Following her was a younger woman with bright blue hair, a chipper smile on her face, and then came Jodi, the mother who had been chatting with the green-haired lady whose name you can’t remember. 

Lastly came Robin jogging down the mountain path, who despite being apparently late to their meeting, was looking rather happy this morning. You’re pleased to see the people around you are doing well.

Until your gaze falls on a young woman who had just exited a trailer next to the water, a very downtrodden look on her face. You stare at her and wonder what’s wrong?

You follow her as she heads west then south, hopping from tree to bush to blade of grass, until you’re stopped by a stone bridge over the river. You watch her as she approaches a large building that appears to be a library, judging by the giant book over the entrance, and she puts on a happy face before going inside. You can’t tell if it was fake or not.

A _sad_ spirit, that one. You wonder if there’s anything you can do to help her. You don’t much like the thought of any of the lives under your care not doing well.

Being that you couldn’t follow her, you resolve to find her later in person. You get the feeling you’d met her before, but from where you couldn’t say. She must not have stood out very much at the time.

The sun is high overhead at this point, and you’re getting tired. You decide to head home.

\----------------

He had managed a couple hours of dozing, but had been unable to truly fall back asleep.

The talk with Sam earlier had, while not completely clearing up his confusion, been somewhat successful at easing his mind.

He doesn’t know if the peace with Demetrius will last, but for now, he’s willing to see where it goes.

He rolls out of bed at his usual time, and pauses to stretch over his head and yawn. He flips on his coffee maker next to his computer, and decides he should _probably_ accept a new job and start working again. The bills didn’t pay themselves.

But as he looked through his email to see what, if anything, was available, he was downhearted to see he’d ignored the job offers too long- the due dates were much too close to be able to finish in time if he accepted them now. 

Well, being as there were no good options for him to take, he sent messages back to the few he was interested in to see if they still needed someone to work on it, and if so, if there’d be a possibility of extending the deadline.

Work done for the day, Sebastian tapped his fingers on his desk, deciding on what he wanted to do. He’d already pretty much exhausted all the sources of entertainment in his room last time he was confined there, and he was drawing a blank.

He frowned as he thought. He had no way of knowing if the adult had visited yet or not, and didn’t want to drop in if the coast wasn’t clear. He briefly thought of mentally monitoring around your house and waiting for him to show, but he was a bit uncomfortable at the thought of _spying_ on you. 

Brief reconnaissance? Sure. Camping out waiting? Not so much.

He pulled out his phone and _almost_ sent a text to Sam, asking if he’d heard anything about the new Manager yet, but paused. He put it away with a sigh, not wanting to be too eager about it- Sam would never let him live it down, and he didn’t want any more jokes at his expense today.

So, he wondered what to do as he sat there, sipping his coffee. Yoba, this was driving him mad.

Maybe he’ll go for a walk.

\----------------

He’d immediately changed his mind as he stepped outside in the bright noon sun, squinting up at it like it had personally offended him.

Nope.

Back inside he went, and he lay on his bed again, surrounded by the warm, gushing aether all around him. He actively set his thoughts to absorbing all that he could, as fast as he could- he’d found that he was always doing so just a little bit subconsciously, and wanted to up his consumption.

You did say, after all - or at least _imply -_ that the faster he saturates his lifespark, the sooner it would sunder.

The more he did it the better he got at it, able to not quite focus so much as he got used to the process. Soon he was relaxed, easily drawing in the aether all around him, and he was able to put it further back in his mind and let his thoughts wander a bit.

He thought back to you this morning, and everything that had happened. He forcefully skipped over everything that had happened _before_ you both had gone out to water your crops, trying not to set off his desires again. He hadn’t even quite yet recovered from the last one, lust still simmering under his skin, and he shifted a bit uncomfortably as the mere _reminder_ of his state earlier started to get him heated again. He hadn’t even started thinking about how you had nothing on underneath, or the way your long bare neck swallowed around-

Damnit. He mentally smacks himself and puts his thoughts back on track. 

The rainclouds you had summoned over your field. Right.

Seeing what you could do with your Element up close had excited him, thinking about what he could manage to do with his own. Sadly, Fire was not as abundant as Water, so he’d had limited opportunity to test it.

So far, he’d found he was practically immune to the effects of heat- his cigarettes and pinching out embers; the scaldingly hot coffee that never burned his tongue; and of course the red-hot elevator doors he’d had his hands all over. And, thinking back, he also realized that he prefers his food freshly cooked as well, still steaming and barely on the plate before tucking in.

Heck, he even liked being out in the middle of _Summer-_ not that anyone would believe him. He didn’t like being out under the _sun,_ but he’d stay for hours over by the lake in the muggy late night heat, black hoodie and everything.

He thinks he’d enjoy the Luau even, if it weren’t for the fact it was at _noon._ And that it was on the beach, which inevitably led to expectations about _stripping._

The only thing worse he can think of than being under the bright, blinding sun, is to be under the bright, blinding sun with nearly all his clothes off.

Horrifying.

Being in the hot, dark mines though…

When he’d been climbing the molten floors of the bottom of the mines he’d felt more _invigorated_ than anything. Though he hadn’t noticed it at the time, he can appreciate the feeling in retrospect- he’d be almost itching to go back there again, if he had any way of doing so. 

But thinking about the trials he’d had in the mines had inevitably brought him back to how you’d looked, crumpled against the ground and surrounded by a pool of your own blood. It was not a pleasant memory, and he didn’t like to think of how close you’d come to leaving him.

Especially thinking about how, if you had, he would never have gotten the chance to feel close to you. Touching your skin, the utter relaxation and happiness that flooded through him, the burning desire to always be next to you…

He’s antsy. He rolls over in his bed and frowns. He can make it one day without you. It would be pretty sad if he couldn’t, and he’d question how obsessed he was becoming. That’s not healthy for any relationship; he needs to have his own life, too.

He’ll go back to you tomorrow, he promises to himself.

It only mildly soothed his desire to find you immediately.

\----------------

Your trip back to your body almost turned into a disaster.

While you could feel your body sucking up the aether bubbling up under your house, refreshing you as you expended your energies exploring, you were consuming more than was replenished and were nearing your limit.

You’d taken the most direct way back that you could, heading west until you’d stumbled across a graveyard. That, ordinarily, wouldn’t have stopped you, but the figure that was visiting _had._

Visiting may be putting it a bit too optimistically though- it was hiding within a bush directly next to a tombstone you couldn’t read, at the southwest corner of the graveyard. You would’ve darted right past it on your journey, but even though you hadn’t actually _seen it,_ its presence made you stop.

It didn’t feel _evil,_ per say. But it definitely felt like something that didn’t normally belong with humans.

As you’d paused, trying to get a handle on what creature you were dealing with and if it was something you should do something about, _it noticed you._

You don’t know how. Even Sebastian, who shared your skill, couldn’t detect you were right next to him unless he mentally joined you. So that this _thing_ could immediately had you alarmed.

It struck out at you defensively, perhaps sensing that you had thought about doing it harm. You dodged instinctively, not expecting the attack, and while it wasn’t aimed properly at you, it still managed to nick your soul as it went by. You gasp, and cover over the tear in the image of yourself, in your mind’s eye. There was no blood, no actual wound- but _aether_ poured out of you as if replacing that, and your imagined hand was doing little to stop it.

You got weak very quickly and sprinted away from it, putting as much distance from it as possible.

You’d climbed a cherry blossom tree to try and heal yourself, feeling as if you wouldn’t make it back to your body at the rate you were losing energy. As you rested in the tallest branches, slowly knitting yourself back together, you watch as the - _is it a shadow? -_ hastily darted between bushes as if in a panic. After a brief moment of it shivering, it suddenly darted out and squeezed itself through a tiny crack in the lid of the sewer.

You watch warily for a while as you heal, but it never emerges again. Still, you don’t trust it won’t come back to finish you off, and so as soon as you managed to patch up the worst of the leak, you took off back toward your home.

You snap back into your body, exhausted, and panting for breath.

Seed, you were sore _._


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not very explicit gore, but do be forewarned about it

He got more and more antsy as time went by, and at one point it had flared into outright irrational _anxiety_ gripping his heart, and he’d nearly leapt out of bed and was out the door before it eased.

He grit his teeth before retreating back into his room, firmly closing and locking the door behind him. Yoba, he can control himself better than this. 

But as he reluctantly sat back on his bed, he couldn’t shake the perturbed feeling around him. What was happening to make him feel this way?

He’s very tempted to go visit you just to make sure you’re okay, but what is even out there that would harm you, safe in your bed on the farm? And he _really_ shouldn’t go today. He’s not so stupid to risk being kidnapped to some island for the next few hundred years, never to see his friends or family ever again. Or, at worst, be there for the rest of his short mortal life, and he never gets to leave until he dies.

Of the two, he’d much rather have a longer lifespan than a shorter one. You did say you’d keep him company, after all, and he hopes someday he can finally leave the cage he’s trapped in.

So, since risking his life and happiness was out, he decides to go through the network. Just to ease his worries. Only for a moment.

He’s not stalking you.

He gets himself comfortable, restarts absorbing as much aether as fast as he possibly can, and lets his mind latch onto the roots outside his bedroom wall.

He forces himself not to rush, not to panic. You’re fine, you must be, he’s sure of it. But the perturbed feeling never truly goes away, and so he continues onward to look for you.

He arrives into the same giant oak tree as usual near your window, and you’re as expected, resting in your bed just as he left you. He can sense no danger around, and you just lay there, hands crossed over your stomach, eyes closed as if sleeping.

Turning to go, feeling enough like a creeper, he stops when a noise makes him focus back on you. 

You had suddenly sat up, panting hard, and your hand darts to tightly hold your uninjured side. After a moment you gingerly lay back down and groan, and then rest your elbow over your face, hiding your eyes. Your breath is ragged for a while, but you just lay there, so he can see no reason why you would be so distressed.

He’s getting more and more worried about you, as you don’t ease out of whatever pain grips you tight. If anything, his alarm grows as you groan again, try to sit up, and are completely unable- gasping as you try, only to fall back again, motionless except for your hard breathing.

He tries to get closer to you, to try and see whatever it is that ails you, but can’t get any closer than your window. He sees you breathlessly mouth _shit_ and that’s it, he doesn’t like it, he’s coming to you, _fuck the consequences._

He doesn’t like leaving you alone, especially not as you seem to be getting worse and worse before his eyes, but he can do nothing for you as he is. So he rushes back to his body as quickly as possible, snapping back in as soon as he’s close enough.

He launches himself from the bed and bolts out the door.

\----------------

Seed, you felt bad.

It started off as soreness, but you can deal with that, you have a broken leg and ribs for Seed’s sake, a little bit of soreness on your other side shouldn’t bother you.

But as you lay there, it seems to _grow,_ larger and larger until the soreness is creeping up your chest and down over your hip, and it’s leaving you gasping.

You cover your eyes with your elbow and lay there, focusing inward to try and see what exactly is happening to you, and you come to a halt at the sight.

The partially-healed wound you had knitted back together was _breaking down,_ and more and more of your aether was pouring from the soul-deep wound. You hastily drag in as much aether as you can from your wellspring to replace it, but it doesn’t really matter, almost as much as you take in is just pouring straight back out of you, and the outward force keeps growing.

You don’t know why your wound is breaking down _now,_ when it had allowed you to sew it back together in town. Was it because you hadn’t fully healed it before coming back to your body?

But you’re scared to leave again, you don’t want to leave your body in the state that it’s in, even if you’re only a few feet away in the nearest tree. Something tells you it would be a really terrible idea, perhaps a _fatal_ one, if you were to try such a thing now. So you can only try to keep the ragged edges from getting worse, and are slowly losing the battle.

You can’t just lay here, nobody is coming for _hours,_ you need to go find someone who can help. You try to sit up but are unable, and fall back onto your bed with a gasp and a curse. You’re already so bad you can no longer really move, and trying to do so had just taken attention away from your efforts to hold it together inside, so you just stop moving and try to grip the fraying edges of your soul together before it gets any worse.

All your concentration is on holding on to those edges and pouring in as much aether as you can, and you don’t know how much time passes outside as you try to keep the unraveling at bay. So when Sebastian’s presence is suddenly next to you, you become startled, and your grip slips just that little bit more.

You gasp, and turn outward just long enough to hear Sebastian calling your name, asking questions, but you can’t answer, you need to focus back inside, so you just give a pained grimace before he’s lost to you again.

You hope he can manage to help you.

\----------------

Something is really, _really wrong_ with you, he can feel it, you’re getting worse. It’s usually only a twenty minute walk, but he feels that’s far too slow, so he grabs his motorcycle out of the garage and arrives in only a few minutes.

He can see you through your window, ramrod straight and _in pain,_ so he doesn’t bother knocking and just bursts through your door. You don’t react even the slightest and that alarms him even more, kneeling by your side calling your name.

“Fuck! _Fuck,_ Liliana, please answer me. What’s wrong!? What’s going on, how can I help you!?”

You’d come back to him, just for a moment, your eyes focusing on him before they filled with more pain and you were gone again. 

Something inside? You only went _away_ like that when you were concentrating on yourself, or when you were outside of your body in the forest network, so one of those two must be happening.

Since he knew you definitely weren't out in the network, he resolves to try looking in to you. You hadn’t taught him anything like that yet, peering inside another’s body or soul, but he has no choice but to try. 

Taking a chance, knowing you’re completely distracted right now and couldn’t stop it if it tried anything, he rests his hand on your upper arm and hopes your void doesn’t attack him while you’re away. To his relief, it’s as placated as it always is lately, and so he ignores it himself as he tries to focus his attention from his hand into you.

It’s difficult. Much more difficult than it had been easing his consciousness into the living, and _simple_ tissues of the tree. The instant he’d tried to penetrate into _you,_ the fast flowing aether throughout your body nearly swept him away, and he retreated on instinct.

But that was something- _he can do it,_ but he needs to be prepared. As he gathers his will and prepares to dive in again, your aether surges strongly, and it flows even more fiercely. Rather than try your arm again, he tries to pinpoint where all that aether is going, to see if he can find the source of the problem.

He follows it down to, _there,_ a point on your side. He places his hand over where he’s feeling aether pouring out of you at an alarming rate, and dives in.

He sees you there, a speck standing in front of a great divide, desperately trying to hold the edges of something together as it tears further and further apart under the unending deluge of colorful aether bursting through. He can feel you slowly weakening as it escapes.

He quickly rushes to your side, and helps you grip and _pull,_ and between the two of you you’re marginally successful at closing the gap, noticeably slowing the torrential river escaping between you. It flows over him and _through_ him, but he doesn’t notice, too intent on helping you survive whatever is happening. You both keep pulling, pushing, pulling, swaying with the waves of aether until the edges are near closed again, and the escaping stream has nearly ceased.

But a new problem presents itself- even though the edges are near closed, neither of you had the ability to knit it together, and if you were to let go no doubt it would slam back apart and rip further, perhaps all the way through. You look at each other with panic in your eyes.

He hardens his face, determination overtaking his soul, as he adjusts his grip to both sides of the gap, and prepares himself for what he knows must be coming.

“Liliana, I’ll hold this closed for as long as possible. You do whatever it is you need to do to fix this!”

\----------------

You want to argue back that you don’t _know_ how to fix this, but he’s already glaring at the broken seam, awash in the rainbow light reflecting on his skin, entire body tensed as he held both sides of the divide together with his strength alone. You simply nod, let go, and retreat back out to your body.

Sebastian is slumped over you, hands pressed against your side and his forehead on your stomach, eyes tightly closed and jaw clenched in concentration. You don’t know what this is, you’d never been told about wounds to the soul before, _you don’t know how to fix this._

The only thing you can do is try what worked before- knitting yourself back together while hovering in the network around you, rather than from the inside. So you throw yourself back out, and, shockingly, Sebastian comes with you.

You look down at him, startled, and he does the same for you. You’d never been able to see him so _clearly_ before, out here in the consciousness of the forest. You could sense him, sure, but that was the bare minimum of feelings and general positioning, not this crystal-clear focus that should only exist in his own mind’s eye.

But you don’t have time to question this. You simply accept how it is, and turn your attention back to your side, still covered by Sebastian’s hands.

With him holding it closed, you’re able to focus on mentally weaving it shut again, wrapping the loose ends over and under and between each other until they’re solid, and continue to do so for what feels like _hours_ until not even a speck of aether is able to escape through what was once a gaping wound in your side.

With a gasp, you finally allow yourself to relax into the soothing and pulsing life of the forest around you. Sebastian hesitantly pulls his hand away from you when you relax, checking to make sure the wound doesn’t break open and start leaking once he’s too far away. It doesn’t, but he’s not convinced it will hold forever.

“Liliana, I… have an idea. I don’t like the look of this still, like it will burst back open at the slightest prodding. I think I should try and add my aether, my _Fire,_ to try and cauterize it, maybe. Would that work?”

You look at him, and then back at the wound in your side. You, too, don’t like the look of it still, of how sore it still is, and how, if you tense even the slightest bit, it threatens to tear open again.

“I… don’t know, Sebastian. I’ve never even heard of this before, let alone know how to cure it. But I think it might be worth a try. If I leave it like this…” You trail off, not sure how to follow that statement. 

But you have the most _certain_ feeling that it wouldn’t be good for you.

“Let’s try.” You say resolutely. “Are you able to do it out here? I feel this is the best place to try this. The wound hadn’t been nearly so bad until I had gone back into my body, so I think there’s something out _here_ that’s helping significantly.”

“I… might.” He starts, frowning and furrowing his brow. “I don’t think I can summon it out of the air like you can, though. I’ll need to start a fire, probably, and come back out.”

“Alright,” You say, “But please hurry. I’m so tired, and I can’t stay out here for much longer. I don’t take in as much aether as it consumes.”

He nods and quickly hops back into his body.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He comes to quickly and looks around to see where would be a good place to start the bonfire, free from the surrounding forest. 

There’s… nowhere. Not a single place that wasn’t already occupied by greenery, between the actual forest and the plot you’d cleared for your crops. Except…

He grabs all the dead branches he can find, and stacks them around the pole of the scarecrow like a pyre, thankfully away from the nearest tiny plants in front of it. But, he figures, even if he were to sacrifice the whole field, it would be worth it if you could be saved.

He flicks on his lighter, and _wills_ the flame, for the first time, to obey his command. It flickers, then bends, then it jumps to the fuel in front of it, flaring immediately at the encouragement until the scarecrow suddenly becomes a giant inferno.

He hadn’t meant to stoke it _that_ much, and tried to get it back under control. It dims slightly, not roaring quite as high, no longer licking the leaves of the trees.

He finds it very insistent, but thinks _good enough for now,_ and leaves it to return to your side. Placing his hand on you again he thrusts his consciousness back out, and he reappears next to you, visible to your eye.

You’re already waiting in the tree closest to the fire, learning back away from it slightly as it burns hotly against the bark. You must be able to feel it, he thinks, but it wasn’t as pleasant to you as it was to him.

He puts himself between you and the fire behind him, shielding you slightly from the roiling heat, and you relax just a bit. He hovers his hand over your carefully mended side, and waits for you to give him permission to begin.

You clench your jaw, but nod resolutely at him, and he gathers the flame behind him.

The fire aether burns hot around his hand, shimmering, and he stares at it as the heat crackles but doesn’t harm his skin.

He examines your hurt side, and, though none is yet leaking out, sees the strands have darkened and started _dissolving,_ until he can see glowing aether between the gaps.

Resolute, knowing that he _must_ do this, he takes a deep breath and presses the white-hot flame quickly but firmly against the wound, and wills it to _burn,_ to _cauterize,_ to _cleanse_ whatever it is that’s eating away at you.

You scream. A terrible, agonizing, _ear-piercing_ scream that resonates through his soul. He gasps and slumps over, but doesn’t pull his hand away, _can’t_ pull his hand away, _he’s not done._

So as much as it hurts him to do this to you, he must finish. He presses harder as you cry, and sob, and beg him to stop, and he can almost smell the burning of non-existent flesh under his fingers.

After a while the burning ebbs, no edges left to melt, no poisonous fuel left to bubble and hiss as it evaporates. He tentatively pulls his hand away to see pure, unmarked scar tissue on your side.

He’s saddened at the sight of the ugly blemish on your soul, and wishes he’d never had to do that to you. You sob once more, and his eyes tear away from it to your face as you cry.

“...C’mon.” He says, not daring to touch you, not after what he’s just done. “Let’s go back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear I don't *plan* for her to end up with injuries... I think I'm just being mean to her at this point :(


	38. Chapter 38

It takes a while, but he eventually manages to coax you back inside and into your body. 

You had stood there over it for a while, just looking down at yourself with shimmering tears still on your cheeks, looking frightened to return. He could do nothing but watch as you battled through your fear, of what he could only assume was the possibility of your wound bursting open again if you were to return.

And of having to go through the cauterization a second time, if it did.

But as you’d stalled, the light azure glow flowing through your body got dimmer and dimmer until it was almost dark, and he pleaded for you to try, that he didn’t like the look of your soul, energy almost completely spent.

He didn’t know what would happen if it were to go out.

You had merely looked back at him for a moment, bright eyes looking into his anguished expression, before staring blankly down at yourself again. You tentatively reach out and touch it with your fingertips, and, finding no pain, take a deep breath and snap back into yourself.

Your eyes fly open but are unfocused, and you start breathing hard immediately, figure tense as a board, not daring to move. You close your eyes and concentrate, and you’re gone, he assumes inside, to inspect the wound.

You relax suddenly, all the tension easing out of you at once, until you’re limp on the bed. Your breathing calms and you open your eyes again.

They lock onto his still floating form over you, and he can almost see his shining form reflecting back from your eyes. They widen in awe as you take in the sight, and he wonders what you see.

He shifts, a bit embarrassed to have you staring at him so, and his eyes land on his own body, cheek resting low on your shoulder from how it had fallen, with hand gripping yours tightly. That sight, though you seemed completely unaware of the positioning, had him even more embarrassed, so he quickly darted into his own self to move before you realized.

He snaps back into consciousness in his body and immediately sits up to look at your face.

You’re still staring at him in wonder.

\----------------

You’d always seen Sebastian glow.

From the moment you first saw him in the Saloon, his skin had been almost shining in comparison to the darkness he wore. And every time you’d seen him since, you could see more of the glow of aether under his face and hands, shining brightly with life and power.

But seeing his form next to you, seeing his _soul_ next to you, was another thing entirely.

Within the overwhelming _white_ shimmered a bright, yet also dark, faint orange color that would flare and die as he breathed- never quite settling, always moving.

It reminded you of, _yes,_ the bonfire outside, of watching flames lick the sky, continually seeking their release as more tongues of fire leapt up from beneath to replace the ones above. It shimmered as the air did from the heat- dangerous, yet beautiful.

His Lifespark. His Seed. Pure. Unadulterated. 

Chaotic yet constrained, _Fire._

It hadn’t been there before, when you first had pulled him with you out into the consciousness of the forest, him holding tight to the frayed edges of your soul. 

Then, he had been pearlescent, white, impenetrable, with no other color to be seen. But after he’d manipulated the fire aether, controlled it, _willed it to listen,_ it now shone through from deep within his body.

Had it always been there, just unable to shine through? 

You couldn’t say, but it must have been, _always_ been deep inside him, just never having been drawn out, before now.

You wonder what this will mean, for him.

Even when he became visibly self-conscious and went back into his body, you could still see it, deep within his eyes, if you looked hard enough.

Flickering life deep inside, drawing you in.

You could get lost in there, if you wished to.

\----------------

Eventually, he tore his eyes away from your own, blush staining his cheeks, as he could no longer take the feeling of you peering directly at the deepest reaches of his being- of having no secrets you couldn’t find there.

Seeing you were apparently alright now, his attention is drawn back to the bonfire still consuming the scarecrow outside, though there was little left to burn. He turns and watches it for a moment through the window, the sight of its sheer _power_ flowing through him.

He couldn’t say he’d been enraptured by fire in his life before. Perhaps he just hadn’t seen one _large enough…_ this one, before him now, had him almost enthralled.

It burned, and burned, and _burned further still,_ never ceasing in its quest to consume everything around it, and he stared at it with a blank look in his eyes, just watching it flicker and turn as if _alive._

It started dying, slowly, struggling to keep going, but its fuel source crumbled away underneath it into ash. The death of the fire saddened him, and he mourned its inevitable loss.

It flared once more, in a last desperate attempt to go on, sparks flying into the air as the main body of the fire extinguished. Most fell to the ground, to be buried in the unforgiving soil. But a few…

A few of them fell on the bright, shining leaves of the spring plants close by, and the fire greedily latched onto them and _flared,_ engulfing the plants immediately, in their entirety.

He snapped awake at the sight, no longer under its hypnotizing control, and sprang to his feet. He rushed outside to stand in front of the fire as it spread, easily hopping from sprout to sprout, consuming all in its wake.

It spread so quickly- it would soon engulf the entire field, the entire _forest,_ if he let it continue.

He stepped between the fire and the rest of the crops and willed it to stop, _to let go._

It resisted him, not wishing to release the fuel, the food keeping it alive.

He couldn’t convince it to let go, it _refused._ But as it tried to launch itself at the next untouched plant, he barred it with his mind.

A stalemate.

He couldn’t get it to retreat, but he damn well wouldn’t let it advance, either.

He felt as if he were staring down an entity within the fire as it danced in front of him, imagined staring into devilish eyes that stared back at him in rage for his interference. 

But he glared back, resisting all its attempts to push past him, and stood his ground.

He could be very stubborn, very _determined,_ when he wanted to be.

The fire died again, slowly, as it ran out of fuel and couldn’t find more. It got weaker, and weaker, and as before, tried to send up sparks to continue its life in a last ditch effort to continue. But he latched onto those almost-conscious sparks of aether, and took them into himself, burying them inside his soul.

At last, the fire was out.

\----------------

The process, though it had been an intense battle for him, had really only taken a few minutes.

He stood there among the ruined, blackened, and ashy remains of most of the spring seeds in your field. He looked up to find you in your chair, sitting on your porch, staring sadly out at all the life lost in front of you.

He could feel it as well, as each one clung to life to the very end, before even the last little remaining bits were snuffed out.

A good portion of them had been burned; a mere quarter of your spring seeds, at best, still remained. But for all that, he was glad it stopped where it did- to have the Junimos’ seeds destroyed, after everything they’d gone through to restore them, would’ve been much worse. He looked at the tiny lives behind him, and felt a surge of pride in himself that he’d managed to protect them.

To turn back around and see the sorrow in front, though, hit him even harder. He’d failed them; he’d failed _you._ It was his fault.

He’d started that bonfire, he’d stoked it too much, he hadn’t controlled it as it started to spread…

This destruction was on his shoulders, and he must atone for it.

He approaches you slowly, watching you carefully with each step. He took care to avoid the ruined stalks, though it didn’t matter now, just to try and be respectful of their lost lives.

He stops before you at the bottom of your stairs, at even height with you as you sit there, watching him, without expression.

After all the damage he has just caused you, he is sure he is unwelcome.

But he can’t help but approach anyway, not wishing to leave you. Will never leave, willingly- only if you send him away. 

He takes a cautious first step onto the stairs, and then another as you just dully watch him approach. He gets to the top step, towering over you now, and you say nothing, just staring deep into his eyes.

He kneels next to you, head bent down, and waits for your judgement.

\----------------

You watch him as he kneels, no emotion on your face.

You’re gripped with so many, battling for dominance, that for now you feel nothing- you are numb. You turn your gaze away from him, and look out over your burned and blackened field again.

They hurt, as they burned. Your musings had been right, from so long ago- you _could_ feel their pain. Just, instead of an axe chopping down, it was being engulfed, on all sides, by the feeling of heat, of flames licking at your limbs, of _disintegrating._

For your own sanity, you had pulled your consciousness back tightly into yourself, but you had still felt them, one by one, as they’d died.

Sorrow, is what breaks through first. It washes over you, and more tears leak down your cheeks as you stare blankly as their bodies blow away in the slight breeze.

Then, anger. You clench your fists in your lap, but don’t else move. As much as you wanted to be angry with Sebastian and his Fire, wanting so desperately to have something and someone to blame, you couldn’t. 

You follow this destruction back to the root cause of all of this- to yourself.

If you hadn’t gotten injured, if you hadn’t panicked that creature, if you had healed yourself before returning to your body… you wouldn’t have needed the fire at all.

Acceptance follows. They are gone, and there’s nothing you can do for them now. You instead turn your attention to those that are still living, caressing each of them mentally, taking comfort in the health of their roots and stalks and leaves.

And finally, gratitude. You’re grateful they’re still alive. You’re grateful to Sebastian for saving the ones that he could. You’re grateful that you were _still here_ to see them thriving.

You look back over at Sebastian, still kneeling with head still hanging, face obscured by his hair. He had been motionless the whole time you were lost in your thoughts, waiting.

You are grateful to Sebastian for coming to rescue you.

Grateful to him for saving your life, down in the mines.

Grateful to him just _being there,_ for _trusting you_ so completely, without hesitation, for just _wanting to be near you._

You’d not had anyone so completely wrapped around your heart before. Never had someone you _wanted_ to be so close.

You reach out, and lightly press under his jaw, until his head is raised and he’s looking at you. He is solemn, acceptance running through all lines of his body.

He is quiet for a moment. Then, he tells you that he is willing to do anything for you. To accept any judgement you would place upon him, right now. Even if, he chokes, you wished to banish him from your life entirely.

Instead, after staring deep into the spark you see in his eyes, into the _love_ you find there, you lean down and gently press your lips to his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't expecting this so soon. It just happened. Tell me what you think, please. Especially if it was too early.


	39. Chapter 39

You gently pull back from him after a few moments, and look into his eyes again. He had not responded to you, staring blankly, not moving at all.

His hand raises slowly, to gently press the tips of his fingers to his lips. His eyes refocus on you, as if he can’t believe it had happened.

You’re still face-to-face, only a few inches away, and you watch him as he processes your actions. You don’t have to wait long until you see his eyes dart down to your lips, then back up to you.

“Liliana…?” He starts, unsure. “Did you just…”

You could play this off, probably, and make him think he’d imagined it. But you don’t want to.

“I did.” You say simply, looking down at his lips again. They curl into a small smile as you stare.

“Does that mean… you don’t want me to go?” He asks, tentatively, _hopefully._ He shifts until he’s upright on his knees, closer to you, and you gratefully sit back in your chair from your awkward position leaning over him.

You nod, but feel like that’s not enough affirmation. “Yes, Sebastian. I want you to stay with me. For as long as you would wish to. Would you accept that?”

The formal tone in your voice makes him pause.

“I…” He starts, then stops. He grips the arm of your chair, takes in an encouraging breath, and continues, “Can you please explain to me what that means?”

You’re quiet for a long while, and you can tell Sebastian is only patient because of a blush slowly overtaking your cheeks as you try to figure out how to word what you want to say.

“Those are… the words we say to each other, when we wish to see if two of our kind can become companions.” You say slowly, testingly. “They are to express clear, unequivocal commitment to the other for as long as both wish to continue.”

He tilts his head slightly, thinking over your words. You grow nervous at his silence, but you give him time.

After a few minutes, you start to get antsy, and can’t help but shift in your seat. He notices, and realizes he hasn’t given you an answer.

“Does that mean… you want to get more serious?” He queries. “You wish to have me by your side, as your partner? For… _life,_ if we both wished it?”

You can only nod, nervous, hoping you hadn’t just made a fool out of yourself.

His smile turns into a large grin overtaking his whole face, and he bursts out in happy laughter. 

“Yes! Yoba, _yes,_ of course I do! _How do I accept??”_

You relax, and smile up at him.

You wrap your arms around his neck and gently draw him close enough to brush your lips over his, and say, “You just did.”

\----------------

He can’t keep the smile from his face.

You’d moved back inside, and Sebastian had joined you. He’d settled you comfortably back on your bed, and, after a moment considering, you pat next to you and invited him to join you there.

He’d jumped on the chance immediately, almost scrambling in his haste to get to the other side of the bed, and had only hesitated for a moment before he had climbed in.

Now, he lay next to you reclined against the pillows, head buried between your shoulder and neck and both arms wrapped loosely around your waist so not to hurt your side, fingertips dipped underneath your shirt and hoodie to touch your skin.

He takes in deep breaths, relishing in the feeling of your comfortable aura flooding up and through him. He’s almost boneless in his relaxation, and he hadn’t realized just how much he was craving this much _touch._

He’d never liked to be touched before, just awkwardly accepting it when needed. Now he was practically wrapped around you, never wanting to let go.

The things you did to him.

Before he knew it, the late afternoon sun was shining down at them through your window. 

You shift, and rest a hand on his cheek to get his attention.

“Sebastian? I’m sorry, but… you’ll need to go soon. Morrisonia should be here in a bit to check on me, after his shift ends.”

He tightens his grip, just a fraction, and groans in refusal. He doesn’t want to leave you.

He feels you rest your cheek on top of his head and smile. “Come on, subadult- we need to get you hidden away now. You don’t want to be separated from me forever, do you?”

He pouts, and feels a bit like a child under your tone, but sits up with a sigh. He reluctantly takes his fingertips from your bare skin, and mourns the loss of the feeling.

“Do you know when he’ll get here, or how long he’ll stay?” He asks glumly, slipping his shoes on and preparing to go.

“Sadly, no. I don’t know when his shift ends, or if he’ll even come over right away. But he’s definitely going to show up _sometime_ tonight, so as much as I wish I could invite you back… it’s probably just best you go home for the night, and come back after the morning visit tomorrow.”

He scowls at the thought, being separated from you for so long. Yoba, what happened to his independent streak, wanting to have a life away from you? He shakes his head and resolves to work on his own things, later.

“Alright… I’ll be going then.” He says, approaching your side of the bed. He decides on a whim, and leans over you, arms braced on either side, and presses his lips to yours.

You enthusiastically kiss him back, wrapping your arms around his neck. He’d intended it to be short, a farewell kiss, but he settles into your arms instead.

His lips slide over yours, keeping the touch light and soft. He lightly parts them and slowly traces his tongue over the curve of your bottom lip, and revels inside when you _shudder_ in response.

Your lips part as well, and, though the kiss is still slow, gets more and more _heated_ as your tongues sensually slide over each other. You tease him into following into your mouth and he obliges, tilting his head and opening wider, and you pull him closer in response.

He’s getting lost in the sensations, and starts tuning out the rest of the world, focusing entirely on you. He withdraws his tongue, delights in your _whine,_ and then thrusts it back in. He does it over and over, simulating the action he’d like to take _elsewhere,_ and when you realize it you moan and arch into him. The next time he does it you curl your tongue around his and lightly suck, and he’s lost in you entirely now, focusing only on you.

He tightens his arms around you, and though you enthusiastically respond, he can’t help but notice the slight flinch at his action. After a moment for it to sink in, he reluctantly breaks the kiss and looks down at you.

Your eyes are closed, your face flushed, mouth still open and panting, lips swollen and red. He’s enamoured with the sight, and can’t look away.

He gasps out, “What’s wrong?” before he loses the rest of his thoughts in you, and tries to wait long enough for you to respond before giving in to the desire to kiss you again.

You squirm a little bit, in his arms. “Just… ow, a bit, is all. Too tight.”

He loosens his grip around you immediately, releasing the pressure around your ribs. He’d forgotten, in the haze.

His clarity is back now, and he reluctantly unwraps your arms from around his neck so he can part from you. 

“I’ll… see you tomorrow, then.” He says, clearing his throat and straightening up to full height.

“...Yea.” You breathe back, just laying there, watching him with your dark, half-lidded eyes. He shivers at the look you’re giving him, and he wishes _so very badly_ that he could stay.

Instead, he quickly bends over and gives you one last kiss on your cheek - a _real_ farewell kiss this time - and is out the door before you can respond.

Yoba, he thinks as he starts up his motorcycle outside. He misses you already.

\----------------

Morrisonia doesn’t show up until almost midnight, and you are vexed to the extreme.

In subtle retaliation for his tardiness, you ask him to help you to your shoddy outhouse again, though you didn’t really need it, to which he reluctantly does with pain clouding his face. Serves him right.

He asks how your day went, looking directly at your burnt field while doing so. Thankfully, you’d already thought up a story about it.

You were so damn bored all day, you’d tried sparking up some lightning just to try to get some power in this place. Instead, you’d managed to light your scarecrow on fire, and it had damaged a lot of your crops before you’d managed to come to your senses and summon rain to put it out.

He just stares at you disbelievingly for a while, before dropping his head into his hands with a groan.

 _“Liliana,_ you are _the_ worst person to be trying to do that. You’re _Water_ for Seed’s sake, did you not think you could end up _electrocuting yourself!?_ You’re already injured enough as it is!!”

You just shrug and pretend to study your nails.

He’s enraged at your nonchalance. “You’re an Adult now, Liliana! You need to take better responsibility for your actions! You _just_ came out here, and you’ve already broken your leg, and _now_ you’ve damn near killed yourself! If you weren’t still new, I’d take you back to the damn island myself right now!!”

You flinch at his raised voice- he hadn’t yelled at you in years, not since you were still a Child doing Stupid Things. The corner of your mouth twitches, but you bite your tongue- you made up the lie, and now you have to deal with the consequences.

But Seed, being falsely accused really stung.

“...Sorry.” You start, looking down at the covers around your waist. “...It hasn’t really felt like I’ve left the island, anymore. I’m stuck here all day, can’t move, can’t _do_ anything… it’s like I’m still trapped there. I went a bit mad. I just wanted something to do, _anything_ to do. ...I’m sorry.”

Holding his hands together in front of his face, he closes his eyes and takes a deep, calming breath in before slowly releasing it.

“Just… do _better,_ Liliana. How am I meant to trust you’re capable if you’re doing stuff like this? As much as I wouldn’t want to, I’d have no damn _choice_ but to take you back if you couldn’t make it out here on your own. _Please_ think shit through, first. You could’ve waited for me to come back tonight and _asked_ if I could help you get the power back on. _Use your brain.”_

You grit your teeth, but say nothing. You hang your head instead, and nod. “...Yea. I will. Sorry. I promise.”

“That’s all I ask.” He sighs as he stands, getting ready to leave. “I’ll be back in the morning before dawn, and come back around this time tomorrow night. Long shifts, but you gotta do what you gotta do. Let me know when your phone is working, okay?”

You just nod again, and he sighs at you once more before he closes the door behind him.

\----------------

As Sebastian was putting his motorcycle away in the garage, he couldn’t help but keep thinking about how you’d looked as he’d left.

The mere memory of the sight made him shiver, and he could feel himself start reacting to it. He shifted uncomfortably, but did his best to ignore it, hoping it would soon go away.

As he shut the garage door he was reminded of the damage that he had caused it the other night, in his hurry. Thankfully, the door itself was still working just fine, and he didn’t see any structural damage around it. He’d gotten off lucky.

Sighing in relief, he stood under the shade of the awning, trying to figure out what he should do with the rest of his day.

He didn’t much want to go back to his room, when he knew what little entertainment awaited him there. But that was alright, as he thought of something in town that he wanted to buy.

He took off jogging down the dirt path, enthusiasm gracing his steps so much he didn’t even mind the sun glaring down at him from overhead.

\----------------

Sadly, he’d forgotten a couple of important details in his excitement to get to Pierre’s before it closed.

One, that Abigail was getting home around this time.

And Two, his Mother was still there exercising.

So as he stood there at the counter as Pierre handed him a bouquet of flowers, he was suddenly confronted by not one, but _two_ pairs of eyes locked onto his form.

“Wha-” “Sebastian!?” They both cried, in unison.

He flinched, then spun around to face them wide-eyed, trying to hide the flowers behind his back, blushing madly.

They stared back at him, shocked. It would’ve been funny how much they resembled each other, if he weren’t so damned _mortified right now._

He knew that the news he’d bought a bouquet wouldn’t take long to spread - small town and all, it would probably be everywhere by that evening - but he didn’t think he’d have to deal with it like _this._

He winced and groaned, before he decided to own up to it and brought the flowers back to his side. They’d seen it anyway.

Suddenly, his Mother was directly in front of him, and Abigail was almost pressed into his side, both almost vibrating in excitement and glee.

They both started questioning him at the same time, and he couldn’t understand either of them. They were talking over each other, louder and louder, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Especially as the other members of his Mother’s exercise class filed out behind them, entirely too interested in what was going on.

Yep. All over by tonight. Joy.

\----------------

He’s still not sure how he managed to get out of there mostly unscathed.

After they’d realized he wouldn’t answer until they took turns, his Mother had started it off-

“Sebby, who are those for??”

He said nothing, still blushing.

“Seb, I didn’t know you actually had someone in mind! Oh my Yoba, are you _actually_ getting lai-”

To which he had forcefully tried to shut her up, and managed to shove the bunch of flowers in her face.

Which led to the _delightful_ misunderstanding from both his Mother _and_ Pierre, and both he and Abigail had to talk them out of his supposed romantic interest in his purple-haired friend.

It _did_ get the younger woman off his back though, as she had fled into her room, yelling back at him that he would pay for it later.

So he’d been left with just his Mother, still showing far too much excitement in her bouncing figure, arms up and shaking in suppressed glee.

Not wanting to continue this in so public a venue, he suggested they walk home together, and she complied.

She’d question-interrogated him the entire way, despite how out of breath both of them were as he’d speed-walked up the mountain and she’d tried to match his pace and talk at the same time.

He eventually couldn’t keep quiet anymore under the constant barrage of excitement, and, truthfully, he _was_ very happy about his new relationship with you, so he’d given in.

“They’re for… Lily.” He finally muttered, quietly, but with a smile on his lips as he thought about you.

His Mom gave a tiny gasp, and her hands flew up to cover her mouth. 

She grabbed his elbow and tugged him to a stop, and he reluctantly turned to face her.

“Oh…” Her eyes welled up, and she started sniffling, but with the biggest smile on her face as she looked at him. “I can’t- I don’t- Ohhh my baby has _grown up!!”_

“Mom!” He shouted. He was just glad no one else was around to watch this display of embarrassment. 

“Ohhhhhhh…. I’m _sorry_ Sebby, I’m just… just so happy! You weren’t interested in _anyone,_ not that I could tell, and it made me so worried about you, that you’d end up alone, too! I was so fortunate when Demetrius came into my life after your Dad disappeared, and-”

He’d started tuning her out after that, head bent down and hand covering his eyes as he groaned.

“Just- just know that I’m so _pleased_ for you, Sebby!! Oh my Yoba, how did it happen? Was it before or after the accident? Was it when you saved her??”

His mind flashed back to just a few hours ago, when he had indeed saved you… and scarred you in the process. He frowned.

His Mother’s excitement ebbed, stopped in her tracks, thinking he was mad.

“Ah… sorry Sebby, I hadn’t meant to make you angry…”

He glanced up at her and smoothed away his frown, but the damage was done- her face had fallen, and now she looked sad.

He took a deep breath, stepped forward, and gave her a big hug around her shoulders.

Nope, he still didn’t like touching people. Only you got his affection, then.

But it was an apology hug for making his Mom sad, so he put up with it. She gave him a big hug back and sighed in relief, then pulled back and grinned up at him again.

She promised not to harass him anymore, and they’d continued on their way back home, where he immediately escaped into his room to hide the bouquet from the others.

His Mom popped down not too long after, trying to sneakily hold a large vase that he could keep the flowers in.

He’d only smiled at her gratefully as she shut the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter has more exposition, this one was just getting overly long.


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Buckle up, friends. This exposition chapter is 2.5x the length of my regular ones.
> 
> Let's get this show on the road.

He’d, thankfully, had something to do once he was back in his room.

A couple of his previous emails had replies, with offers to extend the deadline of their projects if he could please work on them. One couldn’t extend, but offered twice the increase in pay if he could get it done in time. He snatched it up quickly, as well as the others, and resolved to just not sleep that night.

And, he thinks, the more he gets done _now,_ the more time he can spend with you tomorrow.

He enthusiastically gets cracking, only stopping briefly when his Mom calls him to dinner.

\----------------

He wakes up the next morning, slumped over his desk, drool alarmingly close to his keyboard.

He cautiously straightens up, his back popping and cracking from the abuse. At the soreness, he actively pulls in more aether and directs it to ease the complaining areas, and he sighs in relief. Yoba, what time was it…

Glancing at his clock, he realizes he's only slept for a couple of hours. He’d been up still at 5am, last he’d checked, and it was now only 8am. So, he’d been coding for almost ten straight hours, and slept for a mere three…

Yoba, he was exhausted. No wonder he’d passed out, though.

His almost-finished code sits before him, and to his dismay, realized at some point in the night he’d pressed on both his mouse and his keyboard, _multiple times_ \- there was gibberish mixed in there now, all over the place.

He rubs his hands over his face, groaning. Then he flips on his coffee machine and heads to the bathroom, resigned to a few more hours of work.

He wants to get back to you, but tells himself to wait and finish at least the urgent one. It will give him time to relax later without needing to rush back home.

And, he thinks, he rather likes the idea of having enough gold to help support you, if you needed it.

\----------------

You wake up alarmed the next morning, in the pre-dawn darkness to the approaching aura of the Adult. He had stepped just inside the boundary of your claimed land and waited for your consent before approaching. If he’d taken even a single step closer, no doubt water would be flooding _everywhere_ right now, causing a giant mess.

You groan and try to relax out of your Fight or Flight mode. Seed, you hated that instinct.

You extend a bit of aether out as greeting, and wait for him to enter your home. You make sure to glare at him with one eye as he does so- it felt like you’d hardly gotten any sleep at all.

Well, it makes sense. He didn’t leave until near 1am last night, and now he was back before 5am. Four hours was not _nearly_ enough time to rest, and you were grumpy about it.

But, he at least comes with good news.

“Liliana, in an _attempt_ to keep your boredom under control today, I’ve decided I’ll get your power back on. Be grateful.” He playfully glares back at you, as your own softens in surprise. “I had to get up early to make time for this.”

You sit up suddenly, thanking him profusely. Thankfully, you’d kept your hoodie on as a sleep shirt, knowing he’d be back in the morning- otherwise, you probably would’ve accidentally flashed him just then. You thank your past self for the foresight, and tuck your covers closer around your nude bottom half.

He just waves his hand at your thanks and heads back outside to inspect the wiring and whatever-else he needs to do to get the power back on. You take the time to stretch and decide to examine how smoothly you were healing.

Your shoulder was near done, just giving the tiniest of twinges. It’ll probably be a bit weaker for the next day or so, but you could count it as finished.

Your leg was itching abominably inside the cast, but the bone itself was knitting itself back together nicely. You coax more aether its way to hopefully hasten the process, wanting to be at least on crutches soon. Being stuck on your porch in the chair was a pain in the ass.

Lastly, you examine your ribs, and your punctured organs. The bones looked like they’d had a rolling pin over them, they were so fragmented, but you could mostly see their proper shapes as they ordered themselves back together. They’ll definitely take the longest to heal, but you were pleased with the progress.

The holes in your liver were essentially gone, just some slight divots where they used to be. Your lungs were done as well- the thin, fragile membranes being one of the first that your body had repaired.

You take the most care with the one in your heart, examining it closely. The edges were closer together, but the constant movement of the beating muscle made it more difficult for it to knit together. That one will take a lot longer.

You put some extra protection around the hole, plugging it entirely with a combination of aether and clot, until you’re satisfied it won't dislodge with even the most _active_ of heartbeat.

With your new relationship with Sebastian, you feel like you’ll need it.

Lastly, you dive more inward to peer at the wound on your soul. It, thankfully, looks no different than it had yesterday, and as you prod it, just as numb.

Compared to the rest of the azure coloring slowly flowing around, the scar tissue was mostly colorless, with just the tiniest hint of orange. But, that was enough- the blue around it caused the orange to pop out, and it was much more noticeable than it would’ve been otherwise.

Despite the discordance of the smooth flowing blue and the jagged flickering orange, you think it doesn’t look so bad. The colors compliment each other in a way, and you were okay with that. It’s not something you’ll ever want to go through again, but as it is, it’s a nice reminder that Sebastian is now part of your soul.

You pause. Sharing your soul…

It’s a much more comfortable idea than it should’ve been. Like this new addition wasn’t _unexpected._ Like it was accepted with ease _,_ slotting in as if it _belonged there already._

You take a moment to think back to the mines, and everything that had happened between you two.

Sacrificing your well-being for his, as you plunged to the bottom of the elevator shaft.

Your lifeblood, soaking in to him as you used it to save his life.

His desperation to reach Linus- fighting through so many monsters to the point of _exhaustion,_ so you may live.

Then, the next night your void managed to consume his _lifespark_ , finishing the exchange. You dimly remember that - despite the pain between you - he hadn’t actually _resisted_ the attempts on his Seed.

Indeed, had drawn you _closer._

Suddenly, the action of your void releasing him, as if content it already had what it wanted, made sense to you.

You’re Soulbound.

You hadn't noticed it earlier because it's very rare when it happens _accidentally._ Even the schoolfeeding these days only goes into the _theory_ of it- the world no longer in an era where such things were common.

Well, but that makes things… easier, you suppose?

At least you weren't at risk of killing him anymore.

You snap back out of your inner musings when the lights suddenly flash on, blinding you. You squint and are annoyed at the disruption, before realization flashes across your mind.

_Finally!_

\----------------

You are antsy as you wait for Sebastian to arrive.

Morrisonia had helped you plug in your devices to charge before he’d left, waving goodbye to you still in the dark, pre-dawn light.

You’d gotten dressed - really, just putting on a new shirt under your hoodie and awkwardly putting your skirt back on - and set up a favorite movie of yours on your laptop as you waited. _Howl’s Moving Castle_ always had you tearing up at the end, but this time you were too high strung _waiting_ to focus on it properly.

It was mid-morning by the time you felt him approaching, and you looked out the window toward where you felt his consciousness as he peeked in through the network.

And blink in surprise, as he still was visible to your eyes, his mostly-white shining form leaning out of the large tree outside your home.

Well, that was unexpected. You’d thought you could see him before because you’d both been touching at the time, but apparently this new development was permanent.

You wonder if you should attribute it to the new connection between your souls.

You'll have to look into it.

You catch his attention as he looks around for Morrisonia, and he’s startled too when he realizes you can see him. You gesture for him to come in, and he gets the message, heading back home to his body.

You get even more antsy as you wait impatiently for his return.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Getting the all okay from you, he quickly gets properly dressed, grabs your flowers - new vase and all - and heads out the door.

It’s late morning by then, so he can hear voices in the Lab as he climbs the stairs. He glances down at the bouquet with a frown and wonders if he can slip by without them noticing.

He waits at the top, hidden around the corner, and tries to sneakily peek around to see if either his stepfather or half-sister were watching. 

Fortunately, no, and he takes his chance to start speedwalking the other direction to the front door. His Mom looks up at his entry and gives a big grin at him and his flowers as he rushes by.

He almost makes it, but-

“Oh, Sebastian! Can I have a word with you?” Demetrius calls out, almost… politely?

Better than _demanding_ to have a talk with him, anyway.

He had flinched at his name, not turning around and holding the vase tightly in front of him, trying to shield the view with his body. _Fuck,_ he thinks.

He shouldn’t just run off right now- that would probably do a lot of harm to the burgeoning peace in the household. But he _really_ didn’t want to get into this right now, either.

His Mother comes to his rescue, and he’s _so grateful for it thank you Mom!_

She hurriedly steps between him and his approaching stepfather, giving him a quick pat on his shoulder before hurrying to stand in front of her husband, unexpectedly giving him a big hug to stall him.

He rushes out the door at her prompt, hearing behind him-

“What’s this all about, dear? I wanted a word with Sebastian…”

“He’ll be back later, hun, he has something very important to do right now.”

\----------------

He carefully carries the bouquet as he navigates the forested backwoods down to your property. It takes him a little bit longer than usual, and by the time he approaches your house you’re visibly impatient through your window.

You call him inside immediately at his knock, and he happily pushes the door open to smile widely at you.

He can’t resist the look of you in your bed, smiling up at him as you relax in his presence. He puts the vase down on the table, steadying it as it tries to wobble, and then crosses over to you.

You have your head tilted back as you look up at him, and he gently cups your face in his hands, relishing in the comforting feeling flowing into him. He bends and gives you a brief kiss- having to convince himself to pull away when he starts reacting as _passionately_ as he had yesterday.

Much as he wanted to continue…

He breaks the kiss, gives another sweet one on your forehead, then entwines his fingers with your own. He’s excited as he grabs the bouquet from the vase and offers it to you.

You accept it, happy, but with confusion on your face.

“It’s a tradition, in this area, to present a bouquet to one’s intended, when taking relationships to the next level.” He explains. “It’s… my version of the words we spoke, yesterday. They’re to show you, and everyone else, that I’m _yours_ now.”

Your eyes widen and you hug the flowers to your chest. “Oh Sebastian, that’s _so sweet,_ you didn’t have to…”

He grins at your reaction, and darts in to give you another quick kiss on your lips before pulling away.

You invite him to join you on the bed again, and he reluctantly releases your hand so he can quickly cross to the other side, slip off his shoes, and climb in. You tightly grip the bouquet to your chest as you watch him, until he takes your hand back in his once he’s settled.

He gives a quiet, happy sigh and relaxes back into your pillows.

He hums for a moment, thinking, before saying, “Just as forewarning though… this being a small town, you’ll likely get some _visitors_ coming by to congratulate you, once the news spreads. At the moment they’ve only seen me buying one, but I’m sure my Mother will spread who it’s _for_ soon enough.”

You sigh, but thank him for the warning. “The benefits of a close populace, huh? So then, everyone knows you’re taken now?” You say as you grin up at him.

“Yep.” He nods. He should be a bit embarrassed at that thought, but it’s conspicuously absent- he’s far too happy. “And, surprisingly, I’m perfectly okay with the entire town being all up in my business about it.”

He leans gently against your shoulder with his own, and rests his cheek on top of your head. You lean back into him with a smile.

“Good,” You say quietly, and wriggle further up against him, sides pressing against each other. “I rather like that everyone knows you’re off the market now.”

He relaxes into you, breathing in your scent deeply as he calms. 

“...I will, too.”

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After a couple hours of just sleepily laying there together, you cuddling happily up against his side, Sebastian stirs when his phone beeps at him.

He groans, but pulls it out of his pocket, turns on the screen, and then groans _louder_.

You make a questioning noise, and he turns it to show you.

**_22 text messages_ **

**_6 missed calls_ **

And another message comes through as you read- _23 messages_ then.

You laugh, and shift so you’re sitting upright again. He groans a third time as he feels you shifting away, trying to follow after you.

You just smile indulgently as he sits up too, still resting his cheek against your shoulder as he unlocks his phone to find out how frantic they were becoming in his absence. No doubt everyone was _very curious_ about how it went.

He’s sure Sam, especially, is practically tearing his hair out in impatience.

He snorts as he sees most of them are, indeed, from Sam. First from the night before, willfully ignored as he was working, as he demanded to know about this news from his mother that you had been seen _buying a bouquet._

**A bouquet, dude!? Is it for that new farmer chick that just moved in? I havent even gotten to meet her yet and youre already romantically involved!? Holy shit, bro!**

And so on and so forth, getting more excited and less legible as the hours had passed.

_One, yes. Two, tell you later. Busy now._

He ignores the frantic dinging as Sam replies instantly, obviously camping his phone waiting for the response.

Ah, Sam.

He turns it off to focus back on you, sitting upright and incredibly amused.

“Yea yea, I know, laugh it up.” He sighs, resigned to his fate later. He’d brought it on himself, after all.

You chuckle at him, and he looks at you, smiling happily.

He has no regrets.

He thinks back to yesterday, and how lucky he had been that, instead of sending him away as he’d feared, you’d done the complete opposite and asked him to stay.

The memory of his panic, of his absolute _sureness_ that it would be the last time he’d ever get to see you, causes a lump to grow in his throat. He swallows around it, saying, “I’m so glad you asked me to be your partner, Liliana. I’d thought, with all the trouble and pain I’ve caused you since we’d met, you were done with me. But instead… we’re here now, together, and I’m just… it feels _right._ Like I belong with you.”

“You _do,_ ” You reply. “And I’m glad for it, that you accepted. We’re bound to each other now, for life, whether we continue our companionship or not. There is a soul-deep connection between us that cannot be broken.”

The images you bring to mind, the words you use… they remind him of what Linus had mentioned to him, before. He’d almost forgotten about it, between his excitement about his Fire and everything that had come after. 

But now that he remembers, he burns to know the answer.

“Liliana,” He sits up suddenly, and turns to face you. You turn to him in surprise, lifting your eyebrows. “Linus told me something the other day, and I need you to explain it to me. I hadn’t dared ask him.”

You tilt your head and nod. “Anything, Sebastian, you know that.”

“It was after your visit to the clinic, when I had gone to him to retrieve your bag,” You nod, and wait for him to continue. “I’d asked Linus why you were thrashing and fighting so much when I’d arrived, only for you to quiet down soon after. He’d said you’d trusted me to protect you- that we were _Soulbound._ What does that mean?”

You give a quick second of startled laughter. “So you knew before I did, then? I’d just figured it out this morning.” You shake your head, smiling to yourself. “Of course… it figures that the Elder would know.”

You look back up at him, and chew on your words. “How to explain…

“Well, to start with, you should know that our kind are usually solitary creatures. We will cohabitate in the same areas of rest, but that’s out of necessity- there’s only so many. As far as actually _wanting_ to be near each other… that’s a whole different thing. We used to fight each other over territory, _a lot,_ back when our numbers were much higher than they are today. Think natural catastrophe levels of violence.”

He thinks of disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, or volcanoes erupting, and can imagine the destruction that must’ve taken place. He listens closely as your explanation continues.

“It’s most often the reason why we've been hunted- humans get a bit pissed when we cause chaos all over the place. Not that they care that it's only a _few_ of us doing it… they still go after the young and vulnerable anyway, instead of the adults and elders responsible.

“After we were mostly wiped out this last time - more so than before, with how _efficient_ they've become at killing us - the little of our kind that remained had gathered on the home island to recover our numbers. As many adults as possible agreed to become companions for the purpose, and even a number of elders contributed, at the cost of their lives. That was a few thousand years ago now.”

He blinks, then blinks again. He… hadn’t thought that it was actually that long ago. And they were just recovering _now?_ How long does their kind live for, anyway?

“To be truthful? We’re not sure. Almost none of our Elders reach the age of Ancient anymore. They’re only recorded in our most distant history, now. My Grandfather was the last- well, we call him Grandfather, but we're not sure how many generations there were between us. We didn't know how old he was, either- he'd refused to tell us, even if one of us had the gall to ask. We hardly ever die of old age, though; it’s usually by being killed. Currently living, the oldest Elder we have on the island still remembers the most recent Recovery, long ago.”

He takes a moment to process this. It’s a lot to take in. 

So by companions for _life,_ that could possibly be for thousands and thousands of years, right? Do their kind usually stay together that long?

“Not frequently, but a few very compatible individuals usually go back to each other over and over again. It’s a long time, as you said- that's why it's ‘as long as both wish to continue’.”

That’s… not very reassuring. He falls silent as he thinks about what that could mean for you both.

He’s not very happy at the thought of you leaving him for someone else. It makes him angry, in fact, and he holds your hand tight, clenching his jaw.

You rest your other hand on top of his, and he feels that strange _reassurance_ wash over him from the last time he felt this way, when he was questioning you about Morrisonia. Were you doing that?

“Yes. I wish to relieve you of your jealousy, and anxiety. You may not have said so out loud, but I can tell, Sebastian. You need not worry about my leaving you. If our companionship will end, it is because _you_ wish it, not me.”

At your words, he allows the reassurance to wash over him, soothing away his aches. Do you really mean that?

“Well, I’m rather fond of you. I could see spending the rest of my life by your side.” You smile at him gently, and he can’t help but return it. “But I’m the first member of our kind you’ve ever really interacted with. I can’t help but think you’ll find _I’m_ lacking in the future, as you meet others.”

He widens his eyes and shakes his head, frantically, trying to reassure you back. But you still have a sad look in your eye, and he can tell you don’t believe it.

There’s nothing he can do for you now to convince you that your words aren’t true, so he resolves to _show you_ in the future with his actions.

He truly believes he’ll be devoted to you, forever. And he’ll spend forever making you believe it.

You see the determination in his eyes, but don't react to it, instead getting back to your explanation.

“To circle back around to your original question… being Soulbound is different than being companions. A companionship is an agreement between two individuals to be committed to each other. Most recently for reproduction, obviously. But being Soulbound ties the two together in an unbreakable union, until one or the other perishes.

“It was much more frequent, during the wars of our past. There must be an equal _give and take,_ and it must be done _willingly_ during moments of life-threatening peril. We… managed it accidentally, believe it or not.”

How? What does it mean for the two of you?

“The how was easy to figure out. I’d given you my blood, when I was trying not to die in the mines. You probably don’t remember, but I’d used it to cushion your fall, to _save you,_ and push you away. Landing on top of me would’ve spelled the end of us both, for sure.

“You accepted that blood when you wore it, that day and the next, slowly absorbing my life essence within. You had been absolutely covered in it, remember?”

He did. He remembers, vaguely, it being drenched into his clothes, a sticky feeling when he’d found Linus and begged him for help. He remembered how he hadn’t changed out of said clothes until nearly 24 hours later, when he finally went home to shower- and only his hoodie had the barest of blood left on it still.

He _hadn’t_ been misremembering, after all.

“That was my gift to you. I saved your life at risk to my own, and gave you my lifeblood- and you accepted it. Then, you climbed the mines and pushed yourself to the point of collapse to get _me_ help, risking your _own_ life to save _mine._ But I hadn’t yet received your gift, and the bond then had been incomplete. Enough, it seems, to have fooled Linus, but it would’ve broken down eventually if it stayed that way.

“But I _did_ receive a gift from you. Do you remember what it was?”

He tries to think back to what had happened afterward. He had followed you to the clinic, then had taken you home the next day. He’d embarrassedly cried, then went to Linus to get your bag. Discovered he did have an Element after all, returned with the damaged seeds…

“Yes. To all of that, really. You gifted me your protection, and your moment of weakness… and then you gifted me your trust. But that wouldn’t have been enough on its own. We had a little help.”

The Junimos?

“In the end, it was with the Junimos assistance that I was able to take part of your _lifespark_ without killing you- slowing my void down enough to take exactly what was needed, and no more. Once the connection was made, and the bridge completed, it considered you as _part of me,_ and let you go.”

You pause for a moment, then give him a serious expression.

“If you hadn’t done all that, gifted me so many things… I’m afraid it wouldn’t have been enough, otherwise. That my void would’ve consumed it completely, soulbond be damned.”

He’s glad, then, of everything that had transpired between you, if it ended up like this. The two of you, able to touch each other without worry, both wishing to be companions, and bound together for eternity.

But what, exactly, did it _mean_ to be Soulbound?

“I said it before, but- it’s an unbreakable bond, a union, for as long as we both shall live. I have part of you inside my soul now, and you possess some of mine. I’m sure you’ve noticed how much easier it is to sense me, now? Besides that, apparently I can now see your soul outside your body, when we couldn’t before. And, though it’s been a long time since I’d last studied up on it, if I recall correctly we can also borrow each other’s life force, when needed. As far as anything else…

“Well... I’m afraid I’ll have to ask the Adults.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any questions? Please comment below! I'll try to address them in the future.


	41. Chapter 41

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...
> 
> If you don't like smut, you can pretty much skip this entire chapter.
> 
> It wasn't meant to be anything other than a short scene, but, what can ya do? *shrugs*

After your talk earlier, you’d both laid down again to get some rest, exhausted from the lack of sleep.

It was late afternoon again before they knew it, but reassured that Morrisonia wouldn’t be back until almost midnight again, he’d happily cuddled up behind you for a long evening, arms wrapped loosely around you again.

He couldn’t get enough of touching you.

Just the barest of contact, with fingertips ghosting over your stomach, was enough to send sparks and tingles straight to his core. The soothing, warm, comforting feeling continually radiating from you, making all his muscles ease until he’s practically a puddle beside you.

But as he realized that the _more_ contact he has with you made the feeling _better,_ he finds himself almost wrapped around you entirely, with not an inch of space between your clothed bodies.

His arms had, at some point, inched their way beneath your top, so that they were wrapped around your stomach with palms pressed fully against your bare sides. He nuzzled happily into the crook of your neck, just breathing calmly, almost asleep in his relaxation.

A thought sparks deep in his mind, of how good it would feel if he were pressed fully up against your naked body, with him to match, legs entwined.

He tries to stop it, but a small, quiet moan escapes from him anyway, and he can’t help but try and pull you closer, pressing his reacting cock up against the curve of your ass.

You sleepily shift back against him, before dozing off again with a soft sigh on your lips.

He takes one more deep inhale of your scent, before allowing himself to drift off as well.

\----------------

You find yourself dreaming of Sebastian again.

The fact that he was still a subadult had completely flown your mind, just seeing him with the fully mature, male body he seemed to possess.

You’d seen enough glimpses, on multiple occasions, to assure you of his… _readiness,_ and in your subconscious mind you reach out to him, wishing for more.

Heat starts to coil in your gut as you dream he’s standing before you, and you reach out to slowly push his hoodie and shirt up and out of the way, revealing his stomach and lower chest. Dark hair travels down to disappear under the band of his underwear, and your eyes continue down until they rest over the bulge in his jeans.

His upper clothes are gone, and your fingers dance along the top of his underwear. He takes in a deep breath and holds it for a moment, before one of his hands captures your own and presses it firmly over the hardness quickly making its presence unhidable in his pants.

He moans as you wrap your hand around him through the stiff cloth, and he bucks slightly against you. His hands slip under your top as well, hands pressed to your sides softly, gently ghosting upwards until your breasts are cupped in his hands, and he’s lightly pinching and rolling your nipples between his fingers.

You gasp at the sensation, and rub your hand over his length in retaliation, and he can’t help but hiss and buck into your hand again.

You release him, and both hands reach up to undo the front of his jeans, pushing them down just enough to reveal the delicious V of his hips, stopping just before allowing his freedom. He turns you around so that he’s up against your back, pressing himself firmly up against you.

You’re both on your sides in the bed now, back to him, but now he’s fully nude. You are as well, with the exception of underwear doing a miserable job of protecting your modesty. He lifts your upper leg and brings it up and over his waist, opening yourself up to him, and he rests his length against the soaked crotch of your panties.

You reach down and press him firmly up against you through the cloth, squirming against him until he’s rubbing your clit, and you gasp and move against him over and over again, hitting it _just right,_ panting quietly.

He moans, placing one hand over your hip and helps thrust up against you, adding more pressure, and you lean your head back against him, panting and keening for more.

He suddenly bites your neck, just enough for you to _feel it,_ and you moan loudly and buck back against him. He hastily reaches down and _yanks_ your panties to the side, lines up, and suddenly _shoves_ himself into you.

You shiver and gasp when he’s completely seated, and he does as well, panting your name in your ear over and over as he shudders and tries not to move. His grip on you is tight, both hands now on your hips, as he holds you completely still.

You try anyway, squirming against him, wanting to feel him _move,_ and he buries your face into your neck again, gasping harshly. He tells you to wait, _demands_ even, and you feel a flush creep over your face and down your chest as you try to heed the warning.

But after only a moment, your control snaps as he gently moves, pressing himself as deeply into you as he can, exhaling in bliss. You _beg_ as you thrust back against him and clench your inner walls tight around him, and he can’t help but moan and buck against you at the action.

You beg and _plead_ for him to move, that you _need it,_ it’s driving you _insane!_ And you reach back behind you to grab onto him, using the leverage to pull yourself up and off him, just a little bit, before pushing him back into you again, over and over.

And he can’t hold himself back anymore, his control is gone. His hips snap up to yours next time you move and he bites your neck again, _hard,_ leaving deep imprints in your skin as his thrusts get harder, and _faster,_ and the sounds of slapping skin get louder and louder.

 _Finally,_ finally he’s fucking you in earnest now, gasping as he bites you, _holds you still_ as he impales you on his cock over and over, and you can do nothing but try to hold on to him.

The tension in you starts building, higher and higher, and your legs start to shake every time he buries himself inside you as deep as he can, rubbing against a spot that feels so _good,_ that electricity is arcing suddenly straight down to your toes and you gasp and arch into him as you _clench around him_ and _cry out-_

And you wake up, hand buried deep between your legs under your skirt, walls fluttering and clenching _powerfully_ around your fingers, as Sebastian gives a loud groan behind you, thrusting up against you one last time as his cock pulses in his pants.

\----------------

Again, he wakes up as his orgasm rocks through him powerfully, and stares blankly at the wall as he holds tight to the _softness_ in his arms.

He slowly starts to calm, catching his breath, as he rocks up against the _delicious_ pressure against his cock, as he ekes out the last few remaining bits of cum. 

His eyes close as he starts to relax, and his mind returns to the waking world. He dimly registers the hard breathing in front of him, and the scent of you in his nose, and he opens his eyes again to find himself holding tight to you, cock still pressed up tightly against your clothed ass, now completely spent.

He gasps as you move, retrieving the hand that’s between your legs, as you unintentionally press against his still-sensitive length. His eyes lock onto your wet fingers, even as you try to turn your upper body to look back at him.

He glances down at your dark, sated eyes for a moment, before they’re irresistibly drawn back to your hand, shining with your cum. You try to move it away, to _hide it,_ so he can’t help but reach out and grab your wrist.

He partially sits up, leaning onto his elbow, as he brings your hand to his lips. You just allow him to pull your arm closer and watch, intently, as he takes your fingers into his mouth and he _moans_ at the taste.

His eyes close again, sucking lightly at your fingers, _savoring_ it as he cleans off every last bit, until your fingers come out with a _pop._ His eyes open, half-way, and he stares down into your own as he drags his tongue across your palm, licking up the last remaining wetness found there.

Your eyes are blown wide, and you’re starting to breathe heavy again, just from watching him. 

He eases his lower body away from yours, and shifts so that he’s on all fours above you, braced over your body. You’re on your back now, staring up at him.

“May I…?” He asks, glancing down at your bottom half and licking his lips, before eyes dart back up to yours.

You nod, shakily, and shift your good leg out to the side as much as you can as he settles himself to lay between them. He drags his fingertips up the outside of your thigh, slowly pushing the skirt out of the way, until you’re exposed in front of him.

He gives a shaky exhale as he sees, for the first time, the most intimate part of you. He parts your wet, engorged outer lips to see the glistening wetness between them, and your hard, swollen nub just _begging_ for attention.

He leans in and gives a long, slow lick up from your entrance, gathering as much cum on his tongue as possible before swallowing. He licks his lips, eyes shuttering closed, as he repeats the action, over and over again, until you’re gasping and squirming against him, begging for more. 

He gently holds your hips down with one arm and keeps you spread wide with the other, as he continues. He presses his tongue flat against your clit and you gasp, then trails it down to probe at your entrance, thrusting it in as far as he can.

Oh, he _groans_ into you at the feeling, as he imagines it’s his cock doing this. It twitches back to life with a vengeance as he continues, thrusting his tongue in over and over as he rubs your clit with his nose.

You’re panting again, eyes closed tight, but this time you’ve got a hand placed tightly over your mouth to stifle your moans, and when he notices he stops completely. You gasp and your eyes fly open to look down at him, and you shiver at the sight of him between your legs.

“Don’t,” He rasps, enraptured at the sight. “I want to hear what I’m doing to you.”

You nod, shakily, as you grasp his meaning, and he dives back in to resume his ministrations, watching you intently as he does.

Your hands, now unoccupied, fly to the back of his head and tangle in his hair, pressing him harder against you, as your head presses back into your pillows, exposing your neck, exquisite sounds emerging from your mouth.

He can imagine it, as he grinds his cock into your mattress- you in that position, head dangling upside down over the edge of the bed, as he presses his cock to your pretty lips, as you open up, accepting him into your mouth, as he presses deep into your _throat-_

And his tongue is dancing furiously around your clit now, over and around and over again, as his fingers thrust inside you, fucking you hard. He curls them in that famous come-hither motion he’d read about, trying to find that smooth spot inside you, and you cry out and buck against his mouth as he presses against it.

He ups his actions, watching you intently as you try and buck and writhe against him, gasping over and over, and finally you tense up completely as you breathe out his name and clench around his fingers-

And his eyes roll back as he bucks against your mattress, as he cums into his pants a second time.

\----------------

He’s pressed up against your side again, as you both slowly calm down.

He’s so tired, like he’s completely drained, but the contact with you is helping. He simply nuzzles into your neck and breathes deep, ignoring the mess in his pants the best he can, simply because he doesn’t want to move away from you to take care of it.

You turn into him as well, slowly due to your injuries, until your front is pressed fully up against his and your nose is buried into the crook of his neck, too. You wrap your arms tight around his middle, and he is content.

He falls back asleep.

\----------------

It’s night when he wakes again, stars shining in from the outside, and he doesn’t know what time it is.

His movements wake you, and you take a deep breath as your arms tighten around him for a moment, before letting go so you can turn on your back and _stretch._

His eyes can’t help but lock onto your breasts as you do, arched up into the air, and when you catch him he only grins back at you shamelessly.

You huff through your nose but smile, then lean in to give him a chaste kiss.

He can still taste you on his tongue, and he moans.

But as he moves to wrap his arms around you, you - quite obviously reluctant - move back out of his reach. 

You stare at him with heat in your eyes, even as you retreat from him, so he can’t be too upset about it. He just relaxes back against your pillows and watches you.

You take a deep breath, then let out a sigh and sit up. You reach out a hand to him and he takes it, and he sits up as well.

“That…” You start, chewing your lip. “That’s probably not something that’s safe to do, again.” You glance down at his chest, then back up into his eyes.

He can feel the exhaustion, and at your prompt, he looks inward at his Seed- only to find it dim, and with no spare aether circling around it, slowly drawing in replenishment from your wellspring below.

He comes back out at your words-

“And… seeing as how little aether you have now… I fear we might’ve set your Sundering back a bit, too. We shouldn’t do this again.” You say, resolutely, an expression hardening across your face.

Suffering and reluctance crosses his, but you don’t waver. 

_“No,_ Sebastian. We can’t. It’ll hurt you, in the long run. And we might even end up draining you completely, _killing you._ You don’t have the _reserves_ for such things, and we need to stop _now_ before we get too sucked into our Heat.”

He doesn’t like the thought of stopping, _hates it,_ in fact, but he knows you’re right. He can’t bear to say it aloud though, so he just nods reluctantly at your words. You relax at his agreement, leaning back down onto your pillows again with a wince.

“I can’t help my dreams, though.” He says. “That’s the second one now, and I know there’ll be more.”

“We’ll just have to deal with that, then, and try to give you more aether than you expend.” You say, voice still hard, but eyes soft. “And hopefully, someday soon, you’ll have your Sundering, and Recovery, and be a full adult too.”

He only nods again, _so_ looking forward to that day.


	42. Chapter 42

He wants to tug you back into his side again, but as he looks at his phone, realizes it’s much too late and he needs to leave.

Probably for the best… if he had you in his arms again right now, with thoughts of everything they’d just done on his mind, he would’ve had a hard time keeping his hands off you.

So instead he shifts to get up, and grimaces as he feels the sticky dried mess in his underwear.

The thought of having to walk like that all the way back up the mountain is not a pleasant one, and he asks if you could please turn around as he takes them off.

You just stare at him as you realize just what exactly he’s asking of you, and what _for,_ and give him heated eyes as you trail down over his body to rest on his groin. He feels his cock surge to life again, and has to clench his jaw to keep from throwing himself at you at the sight.

But you do turn around, after one last look into his frustrated eyes, and you look away from him. He quickly turns too, stripping the jeans off his legs, and then peeling the underwear away with a shudder.

He quickly cleans himself with a bit of the cloth that was still unsoiled, and slips on his jeans again, being careful now that he was commando. Though now he didn’t know what to do with the shorts…

Your voice suddenly offers to clean them for him, a smirk almost audible, and he jerks back around, almost expecting you to be watching him.

But you’re not, being _very good_ about not tempting him, keeping your eyes closed.

The thought of you handling his cum-soaked undergarments is both _hot_ and _incredibly embarrassing,_ so he declines on both those counts. 

You just shrug, nonplussed, but he can almost _feel_ the smugness rolling off of you.

Oh, how he’d love to round the bed, and gently push you back onto the mattress, kissing that smugness away until you’re breathless and flushed again, and he could slip his hands back under your shirt…

He just bunches the soiled cloth as much as possible and shoves them into his pocket, swearing to _burn them_ later.

He takes a big breath to get himself back under control, then circles round the bed to stop in front of you. He swears you take a quick peek down at him before you look up into his eyes.

 _Focus,_ Sebastian. You said _no-_ no matter how many times your eyes are saying _yes._

So, he slips on his shoes and puts the bouquet back into the vase on your table, taking the time to fix them from their time spent on the floor until they’re beautifully arranged again.

He might have dragged it out a few minutes, deliberately not looking at you, trying to get his cock back under control.

But eventually it was as good as he would ever be able to get it, and he turns back to you with a sigh, knowing he has to leave. He steps up to you and, not trusting himself anywhere near your lips, lifts your hand and gives the back of it a quick kiss goodbye.

You just shiver and flip your hand around to caress his cheek, and he can’t help but lean into it for a moment, loving your touch.

But you both reluctantly pull away from each other, and with one last look, he closes the door behind him.

\----------------

Oh, you have it bad.

You were very tempted to watch Sebastian as he stripped, and _perhaps_ had caught a small glimpse of his firm butt in your peripheral vision before you’d turned further away, but eventually you closed your eyes to get yourself back under control.

You know you could seduce him immediately, if you wanted to- he was already doing his best to resist _without_ your temptation. So it would fall to you to enforce the boundaries you’d set just earlier, for the both of you.

Glancing down at him again as he rounds the bed, you have to remind yourself to _behave,_ and look back up into his smoldering eyes.

Not that he couldn’t seduce you right back…

But you just shake your head and try to banish the thoughts of everything they’d done earlier, determined not to cause him more of a setback than you already had. You shouldn’t have given in to his request after they’d woken up, as it is.

Those dreams were _very_ life-like, and you note that it was also the second one _you’d_ had. You ponder if that’s a coincidence or not.

But regardless, you needed to have control over yourself now, for his sake, and so you stash your desires deep within your mind.

For your own sake too, if you were honest with yourself. You also expend aether during such acts, albeit not as much, but the more you lose the longer it will take for your Recovery to complete.

Stupid void.

But at least you could trust that it wouldn’t just randomly decide to snap at him now.

As Sebastian fixes your flowers you glance at the clock, and sigh in resentment at how late it was getting. Time for him to head home…

He kisses your hand - how _sweet_ \- and leaves, and you really wish he could stay.

\----------------

He gets home just before midnight, to find his Mother had waited up for him.

As he steps through the door without the bouquet, she sleepily jumps to her feet from her vigil by the door, and rushes over to him.

She waits in front of him, not saying anything, and just looks between his eyes, silently asking him how it went.

He just gives a small, happy smile back at her, and her face erupts into absolute _joy,_ jumping up and down in place. She throws her arms around him and squeezes tight, and if he hadn’t braced himself, he’d definitely be suffocating right now.

She doesn’t release him for a long time, but he just stands there allowing it for once. She then gives one extra squeeze before whispering, “I’m so happy for you, Sebby.”

He gives her a hug back, at her words.

\----------------

Morrisonia approaches cautiously again, just in case you’d fallen asleep, but you welcome him immediately.

He doesn’t fully enter your home this time though, saying if you didn’t need anything he was gonna get back to his place, as he was very tired from that morning. With a start, you realize you don’t even know _where_ he was staying. The Saloon?

You ask him, and he just shrugs tiredly at you, saying he sleeps above the JojaMart for now, in one of the rooms for out-of-town employees.

You blink at him for a moment, not thinking that _Joja,_ of all places, would actually have bedrooms available for their workers. That didn’t fit your image of them _at all._

And then you realize that if he’s _staying_ at the Mart, that means he’s been coming all the way out to your farm, twice a day, just to make sure you’re alright.

You feel abashed at how hostile you’ve been to him lately. He really did come all the way out here just to check on you, and is now staying to make sure you’re alright. And also, you know, to _protect you_ while you’re weakened, if for some reason the mundanes were to attack you.

You resolve to treat him more nicely, in the future.

You thank him for coming out, but don’t need anything this time, and he should head home to sleep. He looks at you gratefully.

Before leaving he _does_ look at your flowers though, that had randomly appeared on your table. He stares for a long moment, before asking who brought them.

“Ah, one of my friends from town did, as a get-well-soon kind of gift. I think they’re rather nice, don’t you?”

He just stares at them a moment longer, and then stares at you for a long while, saying nothing. You start to get nervous, and you can’t read whatever emotion he has hidden behind his shuttered eyes.

Eventually, he just gives a slow nod, and bids you goodnight. You are relieved, and return the wishes, waving him goodbye.

You watch as he vanishes into the darkness.

\----------------

Sebastian sleeps well that night, after a shower and doing a bit more coding. He had slept for a good portion of the day, after all, and wasn’t tired when he got home.

He wakes up at his alarm the next morning, and even though he groans at the feeling of waking up _far_ earlier than he should be, he jumps out of bed when he remembers _why_ he did it in the first place.

He’s soon sitting at his computer desk, sipping his scalding coffee. 

He’s happy to start his day, for once, and hopes he can visit you soon.

\----------------

Before heading over to your place, he decides to get the text messages out of the way.

Pulling out and turning on his phone again, he raises his eyebrows at the new notice:

**_84 text messages_ **

**_22 missed calls_ **

Welp.

He doesn’t even bother to read any, and starts calling Sam immediately.

The man answers his phone in a sleepy voice: _“Nyuh…?”_

“Yo,” he says shortly, rolling his eyes. “You wanted me?”

He can practically _hear_ Sam’s internal squealing turn up to 11, as he falls out of bed with a loud _crash!_ and starts gibbering madly. 

He can’t understand a word of it.

“I’ll be on my computer, for when you’re coherent enough to talk to me. Go chat there.” He says, as he rudely hangs up in the middle of Sam’s rapid-fire rambling.

He doesn’t have to wait long for a new chat to pop up. Seconds, really.

**Dude!!!!!**

… And that’s it, that’s all he writes. He sighs and shakes his head.

_Yes, Sam?_

**Oh dont do this guessing game shit with me again fam you KNOW what I want**

He snorts. He supposes that he’s tormented him long enough, ignoring him for so long.

Though after that gay comment, he doesn’t feel particularly bad about it.

_Ask your questions then._

**Did you not read any of them??**

_No._

**…**

**Of course. Why am I not surprised. You just ignored me for more than a day, and left me just a ‘busy’ comment, leaving me way too curious for my own good.**

...Okay, he feels a little bad, now. Sam doesn’t do the whole proper grammar and punctuation thing unless he’s upset.

_I figured it would be kinder to just talk to you now, rather than wade through your less-than-readable texts first. Just thinking of you, you know?_

**Yea, sure.**

_Oh, the skepticism. You wound me, Sam._

**…**

_Alright already, I said I’d answer your questions. Here’s one: Yes, I bought a bouquet. And another: Yes, I gave it to the ‘new farmer chick’ yesterday. And here, I’ll even predict the next ones for you: Yes, she accepted it, and: Yes, we’re now ‘romantically involved’._

**…………………………………..**

**Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

Damn, he’s glad he wasn’t on the phone for that. He doesn’t envy Jodi and Vincent for the no-doubt ear-splitting scream that just went on in their home.

\----------------

Finally calming Sam down enough took a while, but eventually, a couple hours later, he signed off his computer with a sigh.

Yoba, that was exhausting. He’d kept circling back round between exclamations of shock, squealing, and asking **Really?? For real??** For a while, before they got down to the nitty gritty of it all.

Though he neglected to tell him pretty much anything that had led up to meeting, or their ‘adventures’, or right up to, during, and after the actual presentation of the bouquet…

Okay, so he’d pretty much told him nothing. 

He did, at least, truncate most of it and made it ‘mundane-friendly’, boiling it down to a simple _We met by the lake; We got to talking a lot; I helped her out when she broke her leg; I helped her on the farm._

Which, honestly, wouldn’t really be enough for anyone else, to progress to romance in the short time she’s been in town. It hadn’t even been a full _season_ yet… but Sam was just so excited, he guesses it just didn’t cross his best friend’s mind.

He wouldn’t bring it up to him though, if he made it that easy for him.

After Sam he’d moved on to Abigail, which _wasn’t_ the easiest thing to get through.

He’d sent her a simple message that he was online to chat for a bit, if she wanted to. 

He had hoped she wouldn’t see it, but unfortunately she had.

Alright fucker, you owe me the deets, and I want them now. My dad STILL didn’t believe me after that whole flower bullshit and he grilled me FOREVER. 

He winces at that, sorry for what he’d put his friend through.

 _...If it makes you feel any better, my Mom should be spreading it everywhere today who they were_ **_actually_ ** _for, and he’ll get off your back about it?_

I suppose that might be enough, IF you also tell me EVERYTHING. 

AND I expect you to buy the pizza and drinks this Friday, as repayment for my ANGUISH AND SUFFERING. 

_Those are pretty much the same thing, Abs._

THEN THAT SHOULD CONVEY HOW BAD IT WAS SHOULDNT IT 

_...Fair point, I suppose. Fine._

_But I do want to point out that there would have been no flower debacle if you hadn’t tried to ask in front of everyone, including my MOTHER, if I had been_ **_getting laid_** _._

Yea? So, are you? 

_...Okay, I walked into that one. No comment._

That’s a YES, HA! I need to go collect my winnings from Sam. 

_…_

_I’m going to regret asking this, but what exactly did you two bet on?_

If you were really asexual, and if not, if you were into dudes or girls. 

We both agreed you probably just needed the right person, but he voted for dudes. I’m assuming because it didn’t work out between us. And just for the record, Sebastian, NOT COOL, spilling what happened between us. 

So that’s why he brought up the gay comment earlier. He’ll get him back later.

He side-stepped the other comment, pretending he didn’t see it.

 _I’m going to assume Sam spilled the beans on who the bouquet was actually for, then, since you already know they_ **_weren’t_ ** _for ‘a dude’._

Yea we gossip behind your back all the time, you should already know this. 

He did, sadly. They were _insufferable_ gossips.

_Alright, then I suppose you’ll be happy getting all the deets from Sam, seeing as I just finished speaking with him._

_Gonna go hang out with my ‘ladyfriend’ now, won’t answer for the rest of the day, see ya._

HEY NO WAIT GET BACK HERE 

Too late; he’d already signed off.


	43. Chapter 43

Sometimes he hated living here.

Scratch that, _most days_ he hated living here. It didn’t matter that his relationship with Demetrius was _maybe_ getting better, and that he was feeling more amiable toward golden child Maru for helping you. 

When he comes face to face with all three members of his family at once that morning, and they all _stare at him,_ it doesn’t make his unease and anxiety any easier.

He just wants to leave, to head out into the rainstorm and go to you, and just spend the rest of the day by your side. But he _can’t,_ because the instant he steps out of his den, he’s surrounded.

His Mother, okay, _sure._ He loves her, so he’ll put up with a lot of her invasion of privacy, and invasion of personal space. And he’ll tolerate her inexhaustible excitement most of the time.

But right now he’s not too fond of her, as she just watches from behind the counter, pretending to sip her cup of coffee, and he can see the laughter in her eyes.

Traitor.

Demetrius had called for him from the lab the instant he saw him, asking him again, in that weird polite tone, if he could have a moment to chat. The corner of his mouth twitches downward, but at his Mother’s insistent, amused gaze, he agrees.

And as he turns toward Demetrius, he sees Maru standing in front of her room, watching his stiff gait as he walks into the lab. She soon heads over to the entryway near their Mom, and though he can’t prove it, he’s absolutely certain she did it only so she could _also_ eavesdrop on the conversation.

And they’ll be discussing his _discussion_ later, he’s sure.

Demetrius just offers him a seat on the other stool, and, not wanting to shout across the lab, he moves it closer to where the other man is, reading his newspaper.

Well, he might as well try to be polite back, and see how this goes.

“...Morning,” He starts, cautiously. “...What did you need to talk about?”

The older man just makes a show of still looking down at his newspaper instead of staring right at him, and he’s rather thankful for that. He _hates_ confrontation.

“Nothing too serious,” He begins, “I just wanted to see how you were doing; What your plans were going forward, and if anything has changed. See if you wanted or needed help with anything.”

Some of that sounded like the same old harassment he was used to, and he couldn’t help feeling his ire spike, but he battled it down only because the _rest of it_ actually sounded genuine.

And also, perhaps, because he didn’t want to have a shouting match in front of the two women staring not-so-subtly directly at them.

“...I’m doing alright. I finished an urgent commission the other night for double pay, and am handling a few regular projects now. I’ve…” He pauses here, not really liking the vulnerability of offering information, but he figures if he doesn’t know already he soon will, so he powers forward. “I’ve offered a bouquet to the new farmer, Lily, and she accepted yesterday.”

He looks up, briefly, eyebrows raised in surprise. Was that because Sebastian had willingly told him? Or because he hadn’t yet known?

The latter, apparently. “I... didn't know you two were so _close._ That’s awfully fast, isn’t it? She’s been here for… what, half a season?”

“Yes, well… it feels much longer.” He admits. With everything you two had been through, it had felt like _months._

The older man frowns a bit, but looks back at his newspaper instead of his stepson. “I guess… just be careful, then. I’ve never seen you interested in anyone before, and for your first one to just jump in _so soon…_ it’s a bit concerning, Sebastian.” He clears his throat, glances up at him and says quietly so the women can’t hear, “You are… using protection, aren’t you?”

He wishes he could deny that they were even at that point, but after the day before he couldn’t possibly lie so well. He just nods, but doesn’t say anything, just opting to stare at the ground uncomfortably.

“Well, then… I won’t berate you for it, because my own relationship with your mother happened quickly as well, so I have no right. But I also don’t want you to be hurt if it doesn’t work out, Sebastian, so just… be cautious, alright?”

He wasn’t sure how to feel about this _concern._ It was, again, very different from the Demetrius he had grown used to hating over his last twenty plus years of life.

He just clears his throat and nods again. “As far as plans… well, I don’t plan on moving to Zuzu anymore, at least for the time being. If it’s alright, I’d like to continue to stay here, renting of course. I’ll up the payment if need be.”

He’s _very_ uncomfortable, looking down and away from Demetrius as he says this. To admit that he’s _given up on his dream,_ of moving away from this hellhole, is abysmal. And admitting it to his stepfather is even worse.

But what can he do? He physically _can’t_ leave, not until he Sunders. And if he’s to be forced into staying here, then he wants to keep his land _here,_ with his generous wellspring.

He’d happily bring you in to share it with him too, if that were something possible, but he doesn’t think that would go over so well with his family. Perhaps in the future, if he’s the one to inherit the house.

Yoba, he’s already thinking of when his family will die…

He frowns, brows drawn tightly downward, as the upsetting thoughts hit him.

Demetrius thinks for a moment, frowning, then says, “Well… I can’t say I’m pleased with knowing what little plans you’d had have already fallen through. Is it because you’re now in a relationship with Lily? I’m not sure I can approve of this, if it’s going to grind your life to a halt, Sebastian. That’s incredibly irresponsible, to give up on _everything_ just for some woman you’ve been... _seeing..._ for less than two weeks. And one that would agree to such activities so _quickly,_ at that.”

His head snaps up, and he’s instantly fuming at the insult to both you and himself. How _dare he_ presume...!

He’s reconsidered- he _definitely_ can’t wait for the one in front of him to be out of his life.

“That’s _my_ decision, not yours! I don’t care if I have your approval or not, Demetrius. If I wish to be with Lily, then I shall!” He snaps loudly, not caring that both women in the next room startle, full attention back on you both.

He’s glaring at his stepfather, hands clenched in his lap, as he sits up straight and faces him head on. The older man frowns, sets down his newspaper, and mirrors his posture, staring him down.

“You may be an adult, Sebastian, but so long as you live here, I certainly _can_ forbid you from doing such irresponsible things! You are not to _ruin_ your life over a woman you hardly know!”

He clenches his teeth and stands abruptly, knocking his stool over behind him with a clatter. 

“What gives you the right to dictate my life? I’m twenty-six years old, I’ve got a decent amount of savings, and I’ve got a _career_ in my field that I can work at from _anywhere I please!_ If I no longer wish to move out of Pelican Town, then why should I!?”

His stepfather stands as well, anger contorting his face.

“Don’t make me laugh, Sebastian! Your _work_ is spotty at best, and barely allows you to pay your miniscule rent here, let alone out in the real world! If you had a decent education then _maybe,_ but right now it’s ridiculous! And now you want to give up on the _only_ ambition you've ever had, and want to stagnate here, in your _m_ _other’s basement,_ for the rest of your life??”

He’s getting angrier and angrier, especially as Demetrius doesn’t back down. The fire inside him _burns,_ and he stares up at the taller man with a snarl.

He can feel it pulsing in his chest, spreading its hot anger to every corner of his being. He clenches and unclenches his hands, over and over again, and he grinds his teeth in frustration. The spark flares in his eyes, and for the first time he feels his anger at Demetrius tip over the boiling point, and his vision starts going red.

This is wrong. He’s never gotten this angry before, no matter how many times Demetrius has yelled at and scolded him, for these same issues as always. _Go back to school Sebastian_ or _Have you gotten a real job yet Sebastian_ or, if he tries to do _anything,_ and gets a _Don’t make me laugh Sebastian!!_

But he’s never lost control of himself before, never had his anger burn this _hot,_ and it’s all he can do to prevent himself from taking a step forward, to take his rage out on the man before him.

This _isn’t him._

He forces himself to look at the ground, rather at the angry face staring back at him, trying to calm himself. It’s a challenge, as his chest heaves and he’s breathing harshly through his bared teeth.

He really _needs you_ right now. Your presence, so calming, so soothing, is exactly what he needs to break himself out of this _rage_ overtaking his body and mind. He screws his eyes shut, imagining you’re here, beside him, talking him down from _attacking_ the man in front of him.

He’s so focused on trying to pretend you’re _here,_ that he doesn’t immediately notice when you _are-_ worriedly calling his name from across the room, trying to get his attention.

But when he does think he hears something through the rush in his head, he cracks his eyes open a sliver, and looks up. His eyes lock onto yours, your soul floating behind Demetrius, attached to the one houseplant in the lab, watching him with anxiety at his trembling, tense form.

As soon as he realizes you’re there, all the anger blazing through his body, _consuming him,_ is gone. His body slumps and he stumbles forward with a gasp, one hand coming up to cover his face as he looks at you with intense focus through his fingers.

His stepfather takes a step toward him but he doesn’t care, he’s looking at you, at your relieved look, and you reach out to him as far as you can from your position in the corner. He takes more steps toward you, toward the door, past Demetrius as he stands there, saying something he can’t hear. He just wants to reach you.

A tentative hand lands on his shoulder from behind, silently asking him to stop, and he does. He doesn’t mind- he’s within reach of you now, and you lay one hand on his cheek, and the other over his heart. He slightly leans into the former, and takes his hand from his face to lay it over the latter, staring at you with love in his eyes as your _calm_ infuses him and allows him to think again.

He hears his stepfather’s voice behind him, slowly coming into focus again.

“-rry Sebastian, I hadn’t meant to lose my temper like that. You needn’t go; you can stay here as long as you need to. If you don’t want to leave Pelican Town, that’s fine; I’m sure your mother would be happy to have you here, and she’d be able to build you your own place to live whenever you’re ready to move out. Just… don’t make any rash decisions, okay?”

He nods at him, not turning around, nodding just as much at you, to show you that he’s okay now, he’s calm again, he’s _sane._ You smile back at him with worry in your eyes, and even without words, he can tell you want him to come to you as soon as possible.

You flick your eyes between him and his stepfather behind him, and they ask if he wants you to go, if he would rather you not see the private interaction between family. He doesn’t really want you to, but he nods anyway, grateful for your consideration.

You smile again, this time with more genuity, and you hop back to the plant in the shop room, and then flash back out the door.

He wants to follow, but instead turns back to face his stepfather.

“...I won’t be rash.” He says, roughly. “And, you need not worry about me, either. I may not have my life planned out just yet, but I’m not about to let it _'stagnate'._ I just… don’t want to move out _there,_ anymore. I need to stay _here,_ for now.”

No lies. The best truths are always hidden without any lies.

His stepfather nods at him, still visibly disturbed, and then, after a moment's hesitation, reaches out and gives his shoulder a squeeze. He allows it for a moment, then shrugs it off. He turns to leave.

“I’m going to Lily’s now. I’ve reached my limit for the day.”

“...Alright. Will you be coming home later?”

“Yea, I will. Don’t wait up, though.”

He walks away slowly, not waiting to hear his answer. His head was down and hands were buried in his hoodie pocket, avoiding all their eyes. Both women are silent as he passes, not reaching out to stop or speak to him. He doesn’t care.

He opens the door and steps out into the pouring rain, to your shining form waiting for him outside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was... intense. 
> 
> Tell me your thoughts and theories, I'd love to know what you all are thinking :)


	44. Chapter 44

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long. I'm back from my staycation, and it was very difficult for me to write. 
> 
> The next chapter should be out sooner.

You wait for him out in the rain, hoping whatever madness that had taken hold of him earlier wouldn’t come back while you were gone.

You had felt him, as his emotions got high, though at first you hadn't realized _where_ they were coming from. Anxiety and discomfort that just seemed to come out of _nowhere,_ and then _anger_ had sparked, quickly building into an absolute _rage_ \- it was extremely alarming, and as you didn’t have an actual _focus_ for those feelings, you didn’t know where to direct them.

It was when you felt his _desperate need of you_ that you realized that they weren’t your feelings at all. And in your sudden need to reach his side, you had thrust your soul out into the network without any thought, or _fear,_ to reach him as quickly as possible.

Now, as you stand there, bright soul exposed and surrounded by shadow, your unease grows. Is that monster nearby? Are there more of them? Will it _harm you again?_

You’re twitchy, glancing around at every sound, on guard against sudden attacks. You wish you had stayed inside, and hope Sebastian will come out soon.

\----------

As Sebastian steps out into the rain, relief instantly flows through you, and you are next to him before you even think of moving.

He moves to grab your hand, but there's too much pressure and you just phase through him instead. It seems you both can feel just a bit of the other’s touch, so you lightly wrap your own hand around his and stroke your thumb over his knuckles. He closes his eyes and a small smile appears at the caress.

You start leading him back toward your home, and he quickly follows. Any faster and he’d be sprinting, but he doesn’t seem to mind.

As you wait for his slow, earthly form to match your speed, you can’t help but think back to the position you’d just found him in. He and the mundane man in a serious confrontation- Sebastian with his spine straight but head down, shoulders back, arms tense by his sides, shaking madly and teeth fully bared in a snarl…

You get the feeling that one more sleight would have snapped the last thin thread of control he had over himself.

You’re glad there were some plants inside the house for which your soul to attach… otherwise you don’t really want to know what might’ve happened without you. 

Against your wishes, your mind conjures images of blood-splattered walls; of screams, of sobs, of horror; of needing to clean up the _mess_ before he was exposed as the unnatural _other_ that he was…

And if that included _witnesses…_

Well, you’re just glad it hadn’t gone that far.

\-----------

You're with him right up to your front door, and then you snap into your body just as he's entering your home. 

Before you even have time to blink, he's suddenly next to you on the bed, gently but firmly pressing against every available inch of skin, with his nose buried in the crook of your neck.

He takes a deep breath, again and again, as his trembling form slowly eases from its terrible adrenaline high. 

You run your hand up and down his wet back, hoodie completely soaked despite the short time out in the downpour. You squeeze the droplets out of his clothes, and instead of disposing of it, direct them into the vase to nourish the flowers. 

They near _sparkle_ in happiness, and you smile. Though their roots were cut, you hoped you could keep them alive for a long time. 

Sebastian is still shaking, but is slowly calming. He at first worms both his hands under your top and rests them on your lower back, but then apparently decides that isn't enough, because he sits up and peels off his hoodie with haste and wraps his bare arms under your top instead. He gives a sigh of relief. 

You reach up and drag your nails across his scalp and he nearly purrs in contentment, nuzzling further into you. 

"How did you know I needed you?" He quietly murmurs into your neck. 

"How had you known _I_ needed _you_?" You ask back, referring to when your soul had split. "I felt intense emotion, and came to find you."

He nods into your neck, agreeing he'd felt the same- that he had felt anxiety and panic and had gone to check on you. 

You both thank each other at the same time, then laugh. You feel the last of his tension ease away. 

You let him rest for a while. 

\-----------

The storm continues to lash outside, and you look at it with longing. 

But Sebastian had fallen asleep on top of you, and you were very happy here too, so you wrap your arms tighter around him. 

He sighs in contentment, slightly waking. You kiss his cheek and his eyes flutter open. You kiss it again, and he gives a lazy smile.

He shifts so he's not putting so much weight on you, until he's pressed against your side instead.

You take the opportunity to yawn and stretch, then relax back into your pillows again. 

"Hey," He murmurs sleepily. 

"Hey yourself," You say back, smiling. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," He replies, nearly breathing out the word. He nuzzles back into your neck and it makes you shiver.

"Do you… want to talk about what happened, back there?" You ask tentatively. "I didn't know your relationship with them was so…" you trail off, unable to find a good enough word.

He picks up on your meaning anyway. "It's _not,_ usually. I mean, I've never liked him, even as a child really, but earlier I just…"

You wait patiently for him to continue, just holding him. You gently play with his hair as he thinks.

"I just… I've never gotten that _angry,_ before. It was the same shit as always, but this time disguised as concern, and it took me off guard. But even that was just… _disappointment,_ more than anything, thinking things might be changing. But when he started blaming _you-"_

He cuts himself off here, eyes hardening at the memory. 

"Well, I didn't know I had it in me, really. I was _infuriated_ when he insinuated that you were a _whore."_

You stare at him disbelievingly. "Surely not?"

"He _did."_ He says resolutely, bitterness tainting his tone. "And I won't forgive him for it. He had _no right_ to say such a thing."

You just stare at him, speechless, as you try to come to terms with what some _mundane_ thought of you. Why did it hurt so much? The opinions of humans are normally so low on your list, but _this one_ causes a dull ache in your chest. 

Because it's not the truth? Or because it's coming from Sebastian's family?

You get the feeling it's more the latter than the former, and frown. You think about what you know of him.

You hadn't even officially met the man yet, only having seen him briefly twice, and both in moments of crisis. 

The most recent of course, being a few hours earlier, during their confrontation. You were more focused on your companion at the time, but you do recall his behavior during their stand-off. 

Angry. Forward. Tense. Antagonistic.

But also, how he reacted when Sebastian had suddenly stumbled, slumping forward. As he'd gripped his head tightly, walking past as if the older male didn't exist. When he'd seemingly started heading out the door, eyes intently focused on nothing.

A flinch backward, at the sudden movement. Then concern, stepping toward his stepson. Confusion, as he'd tried to question if he was alright, and was ignored. Worried, as Sebastian’s eyes tracked unseen movements as you comforted him, and as you left.

And you think of the only other time you'd seen him, when Sebastian had cracked his head on the floor and you had been scrambling away.

He'd followed Robin's panicked calls, and had immediately knelt next to Sebastian's prone body, trying to see if he was okay. As he'd jumped to his feet and moved to protect them when Linus had pounded on the door. As he'd immediately picked up the younger male and rushed him out to the truck to get him help.

These actions you'd seen from him didn't scream that he hated his stepson. Quite the opposite, in fact. 

You put away the accusation against you for a moment, shoving aside how you felt about it, and instead tried to think from his perspective. 

You, an unknown, who randomly moved to town with no warning a couple weeks ago. Whom he hadn't met yet, and didn't know anything about.

But now, you're in a supposedly serious relationship with his stepson, and, from what you gather, knows you and Sebastian had enjoyed some _carnal activities._

And then being in what must be one of Sebastian's only _serious_ relationships - if not the _first -_ but you two were already at this point in so short a time… you can see why such circumstances would be _concerning_.

You can see why he'd said the things he'd had. You'd be suspicious, too. 

It didn't excuse him, not by a long shot, but you could understand. That he did it from a place of caring for your companion did much for helping you to think better of him.

Sebastian still has a slight frown on his face as he stares into nothing, obviously still remembering earlier. You tilt his head up and give him a chaste kiss to bring him back, and he responds after a moment.

A smile tugs at his lips instead as he gently moves them over yours and pulls you closer. After a while he breaks the kiss, but leans his forehead against yours, keeping the connection between you.

Looking between his eyes, you come to a decision.

 _“I’ll_ forgive him, though.” You say suddenly. Sebastian blinks at you, a bit taken aback by the random statement, before realization sinks in and he frowns again heavily, pulling slightly away from you. 

“Why?” He demands, a bit of a bite in his tone. “He hasn’t _done_ anything to earn your forgiveness, so why would you give it?”

You soften yours in response, to head off his frustration. “Because he hasn’t really done anything to earn my hatred, either. He insulted me, yes, and I’m a bit pissed about it… But to be honest, if I think rationally, I can say I’d be pretty suspicious of some new person suddenly showing up and taking an interest in my family’s life, too.

“And if that person seemed to be leading someone I care about down the wrong path… well, I can bet I’d not have a good opinion of them, or their motives, either.”

Sebastian scoffs disbelievingly at your words. “Cares about, does he? He didn’t seem so _caring_ when he accused me of _attacking you,_ after he’d found my mace covered in blood.”

“That’s…” You start, stunned. “He really did that? Said _you_ were the one that caused my injuries?”

“Well… yes and no. Not in so many words. He’d demanded I say I _didn’t,_ and when I defended myself, _then_ turned around and said he never thought I _did._ And that he was proud of me even, for helping you. What a laugh at my expense, if he has so little trust in me.”

He gives a harsh bark of laughter, getting more and more irate the longer you talk about this. But, despite how much you’d love to turn the topic away and make him feel better, underneath it all you can tell, he _really wishes_ that it were the truth.

That he was someone his family could be proud of.

You hold firm to your decision, and keep going.

“He doesn’t seem to have such a low opinion of you Sebastian, and this is coming from someone who’s never even spoken with the man. And, before you interrupt-” He reluctantly closes his mouth with a slight glare, but waits for you to continue, “I think maybe we should approach this from another direction. Because what you’re _telling me_ doesn’t match up with what _I’ve seen._ Can I tell you what I think? Would that be alright?”

Through it all you’ve spoken softly, quietly, calmly- and now you beg Sebastian with your eyes, wanting him to listen to you. 

His look softens as you plead with him, unable to keep up his annoyance. He gives a quiet sigh, but relaxes against you and nods.

You smile back at him gratefully, and he gives a small one back to you.

“I think he _does actually care about you,_ Sebastian. He’s doing a piss poor job of showing it, but everything I’ve seen him do around you, not with his _words,_ but with his _actions,_ shows that he loves you deeply.”

He laughs quietly at the ridiculousness of your statement, but you just shake your head back at him with a serious expression until he mirrors you.

“Think about it, Sebastian. When you were at your most furious earlier, you looked incredibly frightening. You said you’d never gotten that angry before, and I would believe that- if only because I _saw_ how his reaction went from fuming, to _afraid._

“He’d flinched backward, away from you. Did you catch that? You were focused on me at the time, but it happened. And yet, despite that, when it looked like you were going to hit the ground, when it looked like harm would come to you again, _he moved forward to catch you._ He put your wellbeing above his own instinctual safety.”

Sebastian is frowning again, but this time in thought, staring into your eyes.

You continue, “And before, when you'd been forced too close to me and cracked your head on the floor, do you know what he did?" He shakes his head in a hesitant 'no', as if no one had bothered to tell him about that night. 

"Linus had come to rescue you, and had been pounding and shouting through the door. Your stepfather went from kneeling by your side to _defending you_ against the perceived threat. He'd nearly attacked the Elder in his panic over you."

His frown is now almost a scowl. 

"It really does sound like he wants the best for you, even if he's going about it completely the wrong way. At the very least, even if you and he fight, he still regards you as someone he cares for, is responsible for; his child he wants to see _succeed_. Doesn't it?"

He's silent for a moment, before saying, "He'd also helped me before, after Linus and I had pulled you from the mines. You had passed out and your void had gotten so strong, I'd felt I couldn't breathe, couldn't think- I was shutting down. But he'd pulled me away from you when I was too frozen to move."

You try to imagine what he describes, and you can see it, it fits with what you know about the man. That he cared enough about his stepson that he would know when he's in distress, and would try to help him, even if he didn't know _why_ he felt he should do the things that he did. 

"I'm sorry that his words don't match up with his actions. But of the two, I think what he _does_ matters more than what he _says."_ You rest your forehead back on his and give him a soft smile, which he returns, then continue, "There's a communication divide between you two, so big it seems you almost speak different languages, but with enough effort it could be bridged. And, wouldn't you agree it's worth trying? They won't be around forever, after all."

His expression saddens at the reminder of their mortality, and he looks down and away from you. You merely hug him tight, trying to comfort him in his inevitable loss. 

"...You'd really forgive him for what he said about you?" He asks, so quietly you almost couldn't hear. 

"I already have." You reply, and it's the truth. You close your eyes and pour reassurance into Sebastian as best you can, easing the emotions you feel roiling around inside of him. 

He'll need some time to come to terms with all this, but you're hopeful their relationship can be mended. 

You wish you still had your own, after all. 


	45. Chapter 45

You’re staring out the window into the storm again, just holding Sebastian close to you as he thinks over what you’ve said.

He’s there for a long time, breathing deep and even. You’d almost think he was asleep again, but he was just staring into and through you as he was lost in his thoughts.

Eventually you need to move, and you shift to adjust your positioning. He snaps back to awareness at your discomfort, and helps you sit up when you ask.

“I need to visit my outhouse again,” You start bashfully, not looking directly at him. “And I’d like to rinse myself in the rain while I’m out there too. Can you help me, please?”

You’re embarrassed at having to ask for help, but at least you’re asking _your companion_ this time. He’s already seen you at your most intimate.

Not that you won’t ask him to leave during the act, but at least you’ll now be comfortable with him helping you get there and sit down.

He shows no discomfort at your request, and helps settle you into your chair before wheeling you outside. He steps out into the rain with no hesitation, despite what you’d think, with him being aligned to Fire. You’re curious if it doesn’t bother him, and ask him as such as he moves you behind your house.

“I’ve always liked being out in storms. I like to go watch the ocean during them- see how furious the waves can become, and watch the lightning spark through the sky. I might’ve been bothered by it when I was little, but I’ve long grown used to it now. It’s… dark, and quiet.”

He turns his back to you as you take care of yourself, just staring up into the black clouds above, rain dropping steadily onto his face. He sighs in contentment.

Soon you’re done, and you haul yourself back into your chair and move to his side, mirroring his actions. You hum in delight, and _will_ the warm rain over your skin and through your clothes, taking the dirt and grime and sweat with it as it leaves. You take special delight in directing it under your cast, over your wound and down your leg and between your toes, enjoying the feel of being _clean_ again, and easing the incessant itch.

Those tasks done, your attention is drawn to your hunger. You hadn’t eaten anything since you’d harvested your parsnips _days_ ago, and then the small - but potent - snack of fish Sebastian had given you. 

You suggest heading into town to get something to eat, since you had nothing available at home. He’s smiling, happy, and says he has the perfect place as he starts pushing you down the dirt path.

As he pushes you into the worsening storm, you are content.

\----------------

You have a grimace on your face, as Sebastian _finally_ pushes your chair onto the cobblestone of the town.

Seed, that dirt path was even worse than you remember. And this time you had the added benefit of the potholes hiding _under_ the pools of water, making sure to splash you with mud with every hiccup.

You direct Sebastian to take you into the nearby small park, currently abandoned during the rain, where you clean the mud off you both without anyone watching. You give a sigh of relief as the last of it washes from you.

Staying clean is apparently _very difficult_ for you. At least Sebastian looked grateful when you’d rinsed the mud and dispersed the water from the bottom of his jeans.

You warn him you’re going to stop preventing the water from soaking you both once you get nearer to people, and he nods in understanding. He directs you both toward the Saloon, and pushes your chair more quickly once you near the entrance. You make good on your promise and by the time you’ve both through the door, you’re dripping wet.

Gus raises his eyebrows at you both as you barge in, and Sebastian just shrugs in response, apologizing for the mess. Gus just smiles kindly and asks you both to come in properly out of the cold and if he can get you anything to help warm you up?

Your stomach growls at the mention, and you have a slight blush as you ask to see his menu. He gives a radiant smile at the request and hands it to you eagerly. Sebastian whispers into your ear that Gus is very proud of his cooking, and you smile in delight. You hope it’s as delicious as you’re expecting it to be, then.

Handing the menu back, you decide on the Pepper Poppers, thinking they sound appetizingly spicy. Sebastian took one glance at it and hastily ordered the Pumpkin Soup- apparently Gus has a rotating stock of dishes every day, and he hadn’t had any since the previous Autumn.

You make a mental note to plant as many pumpkins as your farm could hold, when the season comes around. You just grin up at his happy expression as he intently watches Gus start cooking. 

As Sebastian eagerly hands over the gold - you having forgotten your purse at home, not that you had much money to spare anyway - you roll yourself over to a table by the door, listening to the rain still pouring outside. It’s soothing, and you close your eyes and relax as the sounds reverberate through your soul.

Before you know it, Sebastian is setting down your plate in front of you. He waits just long enough for you to try your first bite - utter bliss crossing over your face as the heat and cheese hit your tongue - before tucking into his own bowl with relish.

You watch him more than you eat, as he closes his eyes and savors each spoonful slowly, making it last as long as possible. The look on his face makes your heart soften, and you can’t help but watch him with warmth.

He scoops up the last bit and slips it into his mouth, slowly removing the spoon as he gathers every last drop between his lips. He gives a light, pleased sigh as he finishes it, and sits back in his chair.

You can’t help but watch him in his relaxation, as you _feel_ the utter contentment rolling off of his frame. It makes you feel better, too.

He opens his eyes to look at you, and notices your still mostly-full plate. You just smile abashedly, and start tucking in happily yourself. He grins back and waits for you to finish.

The door swings open behind him, and you glance up at the person who enters as you pop another one into your mouth.

Ah, the surly man. He glances down at your movement in surprise, perhaps not expecting anyone to be there yet. His blank, tired face quickly turns into a scowl at you as he moves past, but you note that his eyes land on your plate for a moment as if longingly.

You wonder if he likes such things too? Hmm. You put it to the back of your mind, for now.

Sebastian looked up at him too, and a matching scowl as The Surly One crosses his face, as the former moves past you. You simply lay your hand over his and bring his attention back to you. You smile at him to show no harm done, you’re not bothered by it. He settles back into his chair again.

You pop the last one into your mouth and give a quiet hum of appreciation. It was, indeed, very delicious. You swallow and thank Gus for the food, and he’s obviously so happy it’s adorable.

Sebastian returns your dishes, and then comes to stand by your side. He quietly says, “Would you like to stay here for a while, before we head out? I’d like to go watch the ocean, when you’re ready.”

The thought is enticing, so you agree. You wave goodbye to Gus as you leave, and Sebastian rolls you out the door.

\----------------

The two of you leave just as a young woman with bright blue hair is about to enter the building, so you quickly move out of the way once Sebastian has you down the steps. She just waits patiently with a chipper smile on her face.

Rather than going up the stairs immediately to get out of the rain, as you’d expect, she instead stands in front of you and eagerly introduces herself, “Hello! Are you the new farmer? Gus told me all about when you first came here, but hadn’t seen you since; I was starting to think I’d never get the chance to meet you! I’m Emily, I work here part-time most days.”

She’s rapid-fire and you can barely process one statement before she’s moving on to another, so it takes you a moment before you can respond. You blink when you realize she hasn’t spoken for a while, waiting for you, but she doesn’t seem overly bothered by your silence.

“Ah…” You start, uncertain. “Hello, Emily… My name is Lily. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I’m sorry I haven’t been by before now; As you can see, I’ve been a bit… indisposed.” You gesture at your cast, just in case the meaning wasn’t clear.

“Of course- we’ve all heard about your accident down in the mines by now. I’m glad you seem to be doing well! Please let us know if you need anything, such as bringing you groceries. We take care of each other out here!”

You decide you like her. She’s an earnest, happy person, and her offer seemed genuine.

You thank her for the offer, but say you don’t need any help currently, as Sebastian has been doing a great job taking care of you. She looks up at him curiously, but just tilts her head and doesn’t say anything. You look back at him over your shoulder, as he returns her look with a slightly annoyed expression on his face.

You smile and shake your head, returning your attention to the one in front of you. As much as you’d also like to get going, it’s important to establish friendly relations with the locals. He’ll just have to wait.

She glances from him, back down to you, before a smile takes over her face again. “Oh, I see,” She says quietly, giving you a wink. “So _you’re_ who those flowers were for, then?”

You just give a slight smile back, a teasing look in your eye as Sebastian shifts behind you. “Perhaps,” You admit slyly. “They _do_ look rather lovely on my table.”

She gives a happy laugh, hands coming up to clap in front of her. This one is a bright, cheery spirit, and you’re glad for her company. You’d like to continue friendship with her in the future.

“Please excuse us now; we have to get going. It was nice to meet you, Emily.” You say quietly, wishing to just spend time with your companion now.

She nods at you, bounces up the steps, then waves back at you saying, “Likewise, Lily! I hope you come back to see us again soon! My sister Haley is looking forward to seeing you again as well!”

And then she’s gone, into the building. You don’t have time to ponder if she meant coming to visit the Saloon or visit with her at home before Sebastian is wheeling you away. Judging by the other approaching form in the distance, you can’t blame him for rushing.

From her words you can guess that she’s the seamstress sister that Haley had promised to introduce you to earlier. You just hadn’t gotten the impression that they were related though- they seemed so different!

Sebastian confirms it though, when you ask. You don't need a seamstress anymore, with your clothes now delivered to you, but figure it might be something you can bond over later. You’ll just have to figure out when would be a good time.

The scenery flashed by as you thought, and the crunch of wet sand under your wheels brings you back to attention. It sinks in deeper almost immediately, and though it would be easy enough for Sebastian to power through, you decide not to waste the effort.

You stop him, and ask him to carry you. He pauses for a moment, not expecting it, before he moves to your side. One hand slips under your knees and the other around your shoulders, he easily lifts you from your chair and carries you to the end of the dock you’d been on earlier.

It would be rather uncomfortable sitting on the edge of the planks with your cast straight out in front of you, so he sits down with you sideways in his lap, arms wrapped around your middle. You lean against his chest and tuck your head under his chin, and give a small sigh of satisfaction.

The heavy rain lashing around you, soaking in to you; the strong ocean waves crashing in and out; the low rumble of thunder and the bright flash of lightning behind your closed eyes; the warm feel of your companion’s chest under your cheek, and of his heartbeat in your ear…

You’d never been more comfortable in your life.


	46. Chapter 46

You stayed by the ocean for a few hours, until the storm started letting up and you could see the sunset peeking from behind the dark clouds.

As you go north past the cemetery, you can’t help but look over and watch it suspiciously, tensed up against any sudden movements. Sebastian notices your posture and almost halts, asking what’s wrong, but you quickly wave him forward and promise to tell him when you’re home. His mouth twitches and he goes on guard too, and speeds up his pace.

Nothing happens thankfully, and you’ve gone past without worry. You hadn’t sensed anything this time, despite how dark it was out between the clouds and the setting sun, but you’re glad of it. You don’t want to meet that monster again- not while you’re still injured, at least.

Sebastian swung by Pierre’s on the way back, ducking inside only after getting your okay to do so- he’s worried about you now, but you just gesture for him to be quiet. He emerges only moments later, holding your new SIM card. Oh thank Seed, _finally_ you’ll have your phone again.

You take a moment to knock on the locked clinic door too as you go by, but no one answers, so you just settle back into your chair again. You’ll get your crutches another day.

Getting back home was much quicker the other way, now that you both knew that muddy potholes were running amok, as Sebastian just stealthily lifts your chair barely off the ground and walks quickly down the path avoiding the puddles.

He manages it with only a bare minimum of mess, and you both duck inside your home after you take a moment to clean you both up again.

He, now dry, takes a seat on the edge of your bed and breathes out a quiet sigh. Exhaustion is on his face but his posture is relaxed, so you imagine it’s probably a good one. 

You pull yourself up to join him on the edge, and lean against his shoulder. He leans back and rests his cheek on top of your head.

You close your eyes tiredly and hum in pleasure, and you take a moment to enjoy each other’s company, before he pulls away slightly to turn and look at you.

“So what couldn’t you tell me before? Back while we were in town, I mean.” He asks quietly.

“I didn’t want it to hear us discussing it’s attack on me, just in case it was nearby.” You explain, “I hadn’t actually told you yet _why_ my soul was rupturing, did I?”

He shakes his head and has a moment of clarity, realizing in all that had happened during and just after, he’d forgotten to ask. “What happened to you?”

“I had been exploring through the network, just trying to keep myself entertained after Morrisonia first visited. I’d tried to come see you, by the way, but couldn’t get through your basement wall - do you think we could maybe get you a plant? - but after that I’d gone to town.

"I had started getting tired and passed through the cemetery to get home, when I sensed something… I’m not sure, but I guess it would be _shadow-like?_ It noticed my thinking about it and struck out defensively, before running away in a panic. It barely nicked me, and I’d half-healed the wound before I returned. It was only after I’d returned to my body that it started getting _worse,_ and you know the rest. Thank you again, Sebastian, for coming to check on me.”

He barely acknowledges the thanks, nodding slightly absent-mindedly as his brows furrow and his lips twist into a scowl. “A shadow-like creature? In town? They live down deep in the mines last I heard- and now one is here, and has attacked you? I don’t like this; we need to get rid of it immediately.”

“You know what it is, then? But I don’t know, Sebastian… I’m not fond of taking lives, even of monsters. And I didn’t get the sense that it was _bad…_ I’d just scared it, is all, when I’d wondered if I’d have to _take care of it._ If we go after it again… I’m worried one or both of us will get hurt.”

He’s silent for a moment, but his expression doesn’t ease. He eventually shakes his head determinedly.

“No, it at least needs to be driven out, if not killed. But you’re right, we shouldn’t go after it alone. Let’s get an Adult to help us.”

You think about it, and it makes sense. You really can’t assume it’s harmless, not after almost killing you once, panic or no. And who’s to say it’s the only one in town? Or that all of them would be non-confrontational? You’ll have to get rid of it now.

Agreeing, you ask him to help you get in contact with Linus, since you’re sure he wouldn’t have a phone. At your reminder, he brightens and takes out the SIM card, and gets your phone all set up in record time. He gets your number - with your permission of course - and also puts in the number for his Mother’s shop before handing it back to you.

It’s getting really dark outside now, so you flip on your light so you can see better. Sebastian is surprised by it, but you explain that Morrisonia helped get your power back on, after you had ‘sparked lightning and destroyed half your crops with the fire’.

He just shakes his head at you, and said he could’ve helped come up with a better lie than _that._

“Yes, well… at least this one was believable, seeing as I’d been stupid enough to try and spark lightning _before._ He didn’t even pause before believing I’d do it again.”

He snorts, smiling and shaking his head at you again. “Do I even want to know what happened?”

You smile brightly and shake your head. He just laughs back at you.

His expression sobers, and his eyes dart down, away from you. “Morrisonia seems to know you well… I’m a bit jealous he has so many memories of you.”

You wrap your arm around his chest and pull him tight into your uninjured side. He huffs, and looks down at you with a smile.

“Well, we’ll just have to make more, won’t we? But don’t you _dare_ think of asking him about embarrassing stories from my Childhood. Leave the past where it belongs.”

He bursts out laughing. Your plan worked; he’s not so bothered anymore.

\-----------------

You have a few more hours with Sebastian, watching a few movies together, before you reluctantly part ways again. He _apparently_ had an issue with your selection, and promised to bring over some _quality material_ the next day for you both to enjoy.

You are rightly skeptical. Nothing can be better than what you already had.

You dig out the number for Morrisonia you got from him last time, and send off a text saying you were fine, and he didn’t need to pop by to check on you. He merely sent you a thumbs up in response.

How does a male his age even know about emojis? You shake your head and prepare yourself for sleep.

\-----------------

Sebastian takes his time going up the backwoods to his home. He doesn’t mind the exercise, would dare say he even _likes_ going on walks, so long as it was at night.

Elder Linus was long asleep by the time he got home, so he made sure to completely avoid his campsite, heeding your warning. He’ll visit him the next day.

He lets himself inside quietly, toeing off his shoes so as not to disturb any of the sleeping occupants before heading downstairs. He slips into his room and locks the door with no one being the wiser.

It’s still relatively early - for him, anyway - so he pops onto his computer to get some more work done before heading to sleep. He laughs as his last conversation with Abigail pops up, with all curses she had sent him while he was offline.

Do what with the where now? He squints and snorts at it- she sure could get _imaginative._

He loads up his coding and goes to get started on it, but is interrupted by Sam’s chat window opening on his screen. Ah, he’d forgotten to sign out after reading Abby’s amusing threats.

**Yo fam you wanted to hear about the new manager dude right**

Yes, yes he did. He supposes he can put off his work for a little while longer.

_Yea, how did it go?_

**Its killer bro I hate him I hate him so much**

**He makes me** **_work!!!!_ **

**T-T**

_Oh, my poor Brother. For such to happen to you…_

_Terrible. Abysmal even! We must avenge you._

**Yes!!! Take vengeance on me, Brother T-T**

_I mean… if you insist._

If Sam really wants him to take his vengeance against him, then he will _certainly_ comply. He still needs to get him back for the gay comment, and that _bet._

He has the perfect idea, and he’ll implement it the next night. Sam probably won’t recognize what it’s _for,_ so he’ll make sure to spell it out for him.

_So, anything else? Or are you just going to whinge that you have to work for your pay now._

**Youre cruel, fam**

**But yes actually**

**Hes pretty much revamping the place top to bottom, and apparently the head office gave him permission to do whatever it is he freaking wants**

**Even Shane is up to here with the bullshit, and the dudes been here for three days**

**AND, did you know hes staying at the Mart?? Like, lives above it even!! I cant even be late for my shifts cuz the dude never fucking leaves!!!**

**Or at least never seems like it. But Shane says hes there first thing in the morning, and nobody has seen him out, so**

**Whatever I guess**

**But hes breathing down all our necks, acting a tyrant, demanding this and that and even has checklists dude,** **_checklists,_ ** **of everything weve apparently been doing wrong**

**We cant even have our produce next to the meats anymore even!! Hes swapping everything around!!!!!**

_Well, I mean. That IS highly unsanitary, Sam._

**Dude dont defend him whose side are you on**

_The I-don’t-want-to-get-sick-and-die side._

They banter back and forth for a while, until Sam apparently falls asleep at his desk, because he just keeps sending gibberish messages over and over.

Well, back to work. He stretches, cracks his back, and settles in for some pleasant coding.


	47. Chapter 47

He’s up again with the sun, having only gotten a few hours rest, but not feeling too terrible about it. He takes a look at his Seed, and it's apparently fully recovered from their _expenditures_ a couple days ago, so he’s brimming with energy.

He’s not sure he’ll ever be able to sleep in so late again- not when you’re waiting for him to get up and come see you. He laments his lost sleep, but decides you’re far more important.

His morning routine and coffee are out of the way before he knows it, and he’s heading out the door. He waves to his Mom as he passes, and she stops him with a tentative, quiet call of his name.

Odd. He turns to face her, and she’s… nervous?

“Are… are you doing alright, Sebby? Yesterday, you… didn’t look very…” She trails off, and he frowns a bit, concerned about her.

“I’m alright, Mom. Are _you_ okay? Why are you asking me this? It was the same argument we always have.”

Her face tightens, just a bit. “It was a bit _different_ this time, dear. I just wanted to make sure you were okay, after being so _angry._ ”

He scowls at the reminder of the insult against you, and takes a deep breath in through his nose, letting it out slowly to get rid of the flare of temper, as always. He’s very used to battling down his ire when dealing with the older male.

He half-turns to go, and looks away from her. He stares at the wall, voice carefully blank, “She’s already forgiven him for it, so it’s in the past now. But if he ever says anything like that again… well, _I_ won’t be forgiving him.” His teeth clench and his hands turn into fists for a moment, before he forcefully relaxes again, regaining his deadpan expression.

“He _won’t.”_ She says resolutely. “After the _chat_ we had yesterday, he won’t _ever_ say anything that unkind ever again.”

 _“Good.”_ He says shortly, turning to go.

She pauses for a moment, before following him to the door. He looks back at her curiously.

She reaches out to give him a hug, but stops herself midway, arms hanging awkwardly in the air before falling back to her sides. She chews her lip for a moment before saying, “...I love you Sebby. I hope you don’t feel like you need to leave us. But if you ever do, please know that Dem was right- I’ll happily build you your own place, wherever you want it. Just… let me know.”

She looks sad, but gives a small smile and continues, “And… I think you two will be very happy together. We’re both the type to fall quickly, it seems… but unlike your Father and I, you two actually have a _connection._ I saw it in her eyes, even when she’d only just met you. So I have hope for your future.”

He turns fully around to face her, and draws her into his arms. She startles for a moment - he _never_ initiates physical contact, and now he’s done it twice - but quickly settles into his hug, wrapping her arms around his middle.

They stand there for a long time with no indication he was uncomfortable or wanted to end the hug early, and she’s able to fully relax and enjoy the whole-hearted embrace she hadn’t received since he was a child.

She whispers, “...I think she’s good for you.”

\----------------

He swings by Linus’ camp on his way out, approaching cautiously to make sure he’s awake first, but the Elder is already sitting outside warming up by the fire.

“Good morning, Elder Linus.” He greets as he approaches. He stands a respectful distance away until the Elder acknowledges him, but doesn’t offer him a seat, so he remains standing.

“Good morning, Sebastian. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”

“Liliana bid me to come here and request your assistance, if we may. She encountered a monster in town that had attacked her- a shadow-like creature that managed to cause some harm to her soul. She is healed now, thanks to our bond, but doesn’t wish to harm it. We would appreciate any help you can give us in driving the creature away.”

“Oh?” The Elder says, head coming up to look intently in Sebastian’s eyes. “Harm to her soul, you say? I suppose it’s a good thing you two were bonded then- it’s very difficult to recover from such things. I’m surprised she knew how, actually.”

He just nods in agreement, but doesn’t say anything. If he were to try, no doubt he’d have another slip-up.

The Elder eyes him suspiciously for a moment, before he relaxes. “Well, all’s well that ends well, I suppose.” 

He just hums, posture stiff, and waits for Linus to continue.

Said Elder thinks for a moment, before giving a small frown. “I had thought you had come to take me up on my Earth lessons, though, not to drive a creature away from its home. A pity, that.”

He blinks in surprise, but quickly schools his expression back into stoicism. He’d completely forgotten that the Elder had offered that, in exchange for his Fire knowledge later.

He’s intrigued though…

“I’ll gladly take you up on that offer to exchange guidance, Elder Linus, thank you. If you don’t mind, I’ll be back for it later?” He gives a hopeful smile, and the old male returns it. “But for now, we would like to take care of the threat in _our_ home, first.”

“Unfortunately, I cannot help you with this request. I have made a pact with the creatures, in exchange for traveling the mines as I please- I will not be able to interfere with the one living topside without breaking that agreement.” The Elder pokes the fire, stoking it, thinking. “I will direct you to Rasmodius instead. He might request something in exchange for his assistance, but the problem would be easy enough for him to solve.”

He nods, a bit confused - _who is Rasmodius? -_ but thanks the Elder for his time anyway. He makes sure to extend Liliana’s gratitude she requested on her behalf, and her invitation for the Elder to stop by her land whenever he pleased.

The Elder beams at the gracious offer, and doesn’t decline. Apparently, such an open invitation is rare amongst their kind, and only given out in special circumstances. He assumes _saving her life_ is one such case.

He bids goodbye to Linus, and it is returned, and he heads down the backwoods to your property.

\----------------

A knock at your door startles you awake.

You groan and stretch, before extending your senses out to see who it was. Feeling no Adult or spark on the other side, you can only assume it’s someone from town coming to ‘congratulate’ you.

Joy oh joy. Who comes so early in the morning, anyway?

You sleepily get up, call out to your visitor that you’re on the way, and throw your covers off your nude body to get dressed. After only a few moments, you wheel over and open the door to reveal the person waiting outside.

Oh, it’s the lovely one, Marnie.

“Good morning Marnie. What brings you here?” You ask, politely.

She has a bit of redness on her face, but clears her throat to say, “Ah… good morning, Lily. I heard about you and Sebastian, and wanted to give you my well wishes. I hope you stay with us for a long time- it’s lovely to have you here. I bought one of your parsnips from Pierre the other day, and it was so delicious… if all your products are like that, I think you’ll be a major asset to our town. And-”

She’s starting to ramble, not looking directly at you, and the redness on her cheeks is starting to spread rather than recede. You narrow your eyes in suspicion.

“Marnie,” You interrupt, and she cuts herself off and goes quiet. “Why are you so nervous?”

“N-no reason!” She squeaks out, still not looking at you.

You merely keep staring at her until she caves. 

“Just… that…” She looks around nervously, not sure how to break it to you. She clears her throat again and pointedly looks off to the side instead. “Just that, just now, when you got up, I could…” She trails off again, blush getting a bit deeper.

You try to extrapolate what she’s trying to say, thinking back to what could _possibly_ be so embarrassing. You got up, and she could…

Oh.

“Marnie,” You say quietly, eyes going wide. “Are you telling me that you just _saw me_ getting dressed?”

The older woman merely nods, confirming your suspicion, lips pursed and cheeks still red.

“But.. how??” You gasp out, mortified. The woman hadn’t been anywhere _near_ your window- you checked!

“The.. reflection.” She squeaks out. “It’s… very clear. And noticeable.”

You stare, mouth open, and then hang your head and groan in embarrassment. Oh, Great Seed…

The woman clears her throat again to get your attention. What now?

“I… actually came for another reason this morning. I was hoping you’d be able to come see that baby rabbit you met, a couple weeks ago? It’s been noticeably despondent since, though the Vet can find nothing wrong with it, so I’m hoping your presence might cheer it up. Would that be alright?”

You agree quickly, wanting this interaction to end, though you actually are okay with going out to see the little thing later. Marnie turns to leave just as quickly after she receives your promise, and marches down the path toward her farm with only a quick “Bye!” as a farewell.

That entire exchange was awkward in the extreme, but in the end you’re _very glad_ it was someone like Marnie who was able to tell you what was happening, rather than _literally any other person in town._

You narrow your eyes and wonder if Sebastian knew.

\----------------

You feel him approach not long after, while it was still mid-morning. You wave at him to come in when you see his soul peeking in through the window, and only a few minutes later he’s walking in your door.

He walks up to you with a smile, and though you are a teensy bit irked at the thought that he knew your embarrassing situation and said nothing, you can’t help but return it when he entwines his fingers with yours.

After you exchange your usual greetings - _Hey_ and _Hey, yourself -_ he lifts your hand to his lips and kisses the back of it, warmth in his eyes. It makes your heart stutter, and you grin back.

Okay, you decide. You’ll probably forgive him about not telling you, _if_ he even knew in the first place.

You ask if he’d managed to get in touch with Linus this morning, and how it went?

“Unfortunately, Linus said he had a… pact? With the shadow-creatures in the mines and would be unable to help us. He told us to go to someone else instead. Rasmo-something?” He frowns, not quite able to remember the name.

“Ah, Adult Rasmodius. Well, it’s a shame that Linus can’t help us, but it sounds like his hands are tied. It’s best not to get entangled with spirits if you can avoid it; these situations happen _all the time._ Eventually, you always get into trouble."

He nods, taking it to heart. “What about the Junimos?” He asks, curious.

“Far as I can tell, they’re relatively benign creatures… they haven’t yet asked for anything undoable, just some gifts and offerings from the Valley. I’m still hoping I won't have to get myself into danger to fulfil those requests, though.”

He’s unhappy at the thought. What exactly were they asking for?

“Simple stuff, really. Crops, foraged items, fish, things of that nature. I’m not too thrilled with some of the metals and minerals though- it seems I’ll need to go back into the mines for those, and I’m not quite as keen as before.”

He’s not either, but he supposes if they can do it all at once it’ll be better. You’ll just have to wait until you’re fully recovered first.

“Mm.” You hum in agreement. “As for now though, let’s go to see Rasmodius. I’ll instruct you on more proper etiquette on the way- he’s… an _interesting_ one of our kind, for sure.”

You stop briefly for you and Sebastian to water your crops as you go by, and you note how _quickly_ they’re all growing. You again wonder if there’s anything special about this moderate wellspring your Grandfather had chosen so long ago.

You and Sebastian start heading south, off to see the Wizard.


	48. Chapter 48

You make sure to stop in at Marnie's on your way, to care for the little bunbun. She's grateful, and you both pretend the morning's awkwardness never happened as she leads you into the barn.

It's just laying there as you approach, at the back of its enclosure while all its siblings are running around exploring. Marnie reaches in and lifts it, and it just goes limp and unmoving. She holds it with care, just in case- rabbits tend to break their own backs if they move wrong. 

Fragile little creatures, they are. 

You come right up to it, and pet it between its eyes as it's little nose twitches at you. It becomes a bit more active at your touch, and Marnie is relieved. 

She hands it to you at your request, and you cradle it carefully, petting along its back and offering it _calm reassurance,_ that everything would be okay. 

It responds by briefly closing its eyes and exhaling, then burrowing deeper into your arms. Apparently it's the most active that she's seen it be in days, and she can't keep her relieved grin off her face. 

You reach in to grab some of the food scattered around the enclosure, and it takes it eagerly, perking up and chewing away. 

You and Marnie get to chatting about the rabbit and her other animals and Sebastian eventually wanders off, boredom in his eyes. He approaches the rest of the bunnies, watching them interact and play. 

They all seem to notice him right away, and crowd around him on the other side of the enclosure. He seems surprised at their curiosity, and Marnie offers to let him inside.

After a moment thinking, he agrees, climbing in. He sits on the ground in the middle of the enclosure, and all the bunnies are crowding around him and jumping into his lap. He moves to pet one and it flops over onto its side, snuggled up to his leg.

He has a small smile on his face at their happy reception of him. He’s so _adorable,_ you don’t know how you can stand it.

The bunbun in your arms has perked up immensely by now, and is happy to just be cuddled as it chews away on its food. You gently set it down by the others, hoping it’ll join in the cuddle pile currently smothering Sebastian, but it just comes up to the edge of the enclosure again to stare at you sadly. It props its legs up on the side of the wall and tries to reach you.

“I think we both know that this little one would be happier living with you,” Marnie says with a kind smile. “Would you be willing to take her?”

“I’d love to, but… I don’t have anywhere to keep her, just yet. I’m waiting for my crops to grow so I can afford to buy a coop, and to repair the house. I _could_ try to keep her indoors with me, I suppose, but… it’s not very well-maintained at the moment.”

Marnie has a bit of a disappointed frown on her face, but you can tell she understands.

“Perhaps I can come visit her every day, until I can afford to house her properly?” You offer kindly. “I wouldn’t want to just _take_ her anyway- I’ll buy her from you, when I can.”

A smile spreads across the older woman’s face and she accepts your offer to visit. You’re not sure she won’t try to just give her to you for free anyway, but you really _would_ feel bad just taking a valuable farm animal away. The people here need to earn a living, too.

You give the bunbun a pet down its back - it still trying to reach you - and _soothe_ it, reassuring it that you’ll come see it again. It seems happy with that, so you gently nudge it over to the rest of the litter, and this time it goes.

Your eyes land on Sebastian again, now laying down on his back and is covered by a multitude of bunnies all over him, all with different colored fur. You can barely see him underneath the pile, and you laugh softly at him.

He gently moves one off his face when he hears your laughter, and looks up at you upside-down, the long fringe of his hair scattered on the ground. He gives you a pleased grin at your amused expression, and chuckles himself.

He gently extricates himself from the rest of them before standing and carefully climbing out of the pen. He looks calm, soothed- this visit seems to have lifted his spirits, too. 

He leans over at your request, and you pull a piece of straw out of his hair, then neaten it back to what it was. He gives you a small kiss on your forehead as thanks.

You thank Marnie for letting you both visit, and she returns the sentiment with a wistful look on her face, saying she looks forward to you visiting again tomorrow.

\----------------

He pushes your chair along the riverbank south of Marnie’s home, cautiously avoiding getting too close to the edge.

Much as he’s sure you wouldn’t mind a dip in the water, getting you _back out_ would pose something of a challenge, so he’s keen to avoid it. He wants to go meet this other Adult soon.

You’d instructed him on being _extremely polite_ to this one, just in case. His element was Lightning, and he took the mythos of their kind _very seriously -_ you’d said with a snort and a smile, explaining his garb and living quarters - and was an avid researcher, apparently. You were… very _cautious_ about introducing him to the Adult, as you were worried he’d notice something amiss immediately, and his curiosity would give you both trouble.

He swears he won’t speak unless spoken to, and will try to keep his answers _as short as possible,_ and that’s all he can do. You nod in agreement- it’s just something you’ll have to wing, and hope you don’t crash.

You point out the top of the Spire as they approach, and their way is soon barred by a lot of foliage. There’s no actual clear path for the wheelchair to take, so after a quick _look_ around, he lifts your chair up over his head as he picks his way through the brambles.

He continues carrying you up the stairs, and sets you down finally in front of the door, on which he knocks quietly and politely. As he waits for the response, he can’t help but revel in the warm nourishment bubbling up from underneath you both, and he sighs in contentment.

The door opens seemingly on its own, but he’s used to that by now, and moves to carefully lift your chair over the doorstep and into the center of the room. You weren’t kidding- every square inch of space in his abode has some experiment or another whirring away, and the chaotic mesh of aether flowing around is enough to make him dizzy. He grips the back of your chair tightly to keep himself standing.

You greet the aptly-named Wizard politely, and he does as well, very carefully following your wording. The older purple-haired man nods back at them without saying anything, and he can’t help but think of Abigail in their similar hair color. 

She didn’t always have amethyst-colored hair, but at the same time, he can’t remember her ever dyeing it, other than the once when they were children. After her shrugging at him and telling him to stop questioning it, he had, but now he’s wondering if she has any connection with the Adult in front of them.

His attention is pulled back to their conversation as you ask, “Adult Rasmodius, we are sorry to intrude. Thank you for accepting us onto your land, and into your home. We come with a question, and a possible request, if we may.”

Normally when visiting another’s dwelling that you aren’t intimately familiar with, one would bring some kind of gift, as a means of expressing well wishes and the intent not to fight. However, this rule didn’t really apply to younglings like himself, and you could get away with it while still being a new adult. Good thing too, as there was nothing either of them possessed that would interest the old mage.

Said mage merely tilts his chin down and looks over you both, flipping between your injuries and his obvious subadult status curiously. He realizes that he’s standing _awfully close_ to you, for supposedly still being in harm’s way from your void, but it’s too late to do anything about it now.

“Very well,” The older male asks, turning away to continue working on one of the experiments behind him. “What can I assist you with, young ones?”

“I was attacked not long ago, while my soul was exploring the town. A shadow-like creature lashed out at me in panic when I noticed its presence, and then it ran into the sewers. As I’m concerned for the townsfolk, as well as myself and the subadult being attacked, we wish to neutralize the threat. I would prefer _eviction,_ if that’s possible, for it and any other of its kind around- I don’t believe the one I met is there to _intentionally_ do harm, per say, but it is still not something that should be ignored.”

The Wizard hums in thought, as he delicately manipulates the glass instruments in front of him.

“I’ve known of his presence for a while now. He is the only one above ground, and does hide in the sewers during the day, as he cannot be out in direct sunlight. I hadn’t been inclined to evict him, as he’d been doing no harm, but if he has attacked our kind, our _young,_ as you say… that’s not something to be tolerated.”

He finishes whatever he was doing, after it gives a slight puff of colorful smoke. He pours it into another glass bottle and stoppers it, tucking it away into his coat, before turning to face you two again.

“However,” He continues, “Before we jump to conclusions, we should hear his side of the story. I have known him to be an amiable Shadow Person in the few times I’ve spoken with him. If he was panicked when he struck out, and he is now apologetic for it, I would consider it equal if he were to make amends. What say you?”

He stiffens at the thought. That shadow creature had _hurt you,_ and the wound would’ve no doubt _ended your life_ if he hadn’t gone to check on you in his anxiety. He’s still incredibly remorseful he was forced to place an ugly brand on your soul, and he blames the creature for the necessity. Thinking of _evicting_ it had been his limit, and only because it was your wish- _leaving it be_ was something he wasn’t willing to accept.

He feels his anger spiking, and his hands clench around the handles of your chair as he tries to control himself. He’s shaking, and his eyes narrow and his vision blurs. That the creature could attack you _again,_ when they had the opportunity right here, right now, to _stop it…_

What if he lost you? _What would he do?_

The fear of losing you fans the flames of his anger at the creature, at the Wizard for suggesting such a thing, and he’s quickly losing control of himself. His eyes shut tightly and he hunches over the back of the chair, gripping so tightly his knuckles are going white, as he sucks in air through his teeth.

You turn around immediately, and his eyes fly open at your movement. You twist around with a wince on your face, and grab tightly onto his hand. The upward momentum of his anger ceases, but it doesn’t decrease either- he’s too wound up. He stares deeply into your eyes, grounding himself there in your worry.

The Wizard suddenly flashes in front of him and his eyes momentarily close at the bright light. The next thing he feels is a palm harshly slamming into the center of his chest, knocking him back a step with a gasp. All the chaotic energy inside of him suddenly _locks down._ His legs give up and he slumps over the back of your chair, arms falling limply on either side of you, and his head lands on your shoulder.

He's fully conscious, but he can't move. The angry sparks inside of him have dulled, but are still smoldering dimly, deep in his soul.

"Careful, boy! Do you not see what would happen if you lost control _here!?_ The stupidity! There'll be nothing left of _any of us_ if you don't control yourself **now!** "

But he can’t control himself, he doesn’t know _how._ This anger that’s been overtaking him is _new_ and he doesn’t know why it’s happening. Confusion shines in his eyes, but neither of them can see it. He can only make a desperate whine as he exhales, and hopes you understand.

You hold tight to his hand, and he feels you pressing insistently at his mind, his soul, but he trusts you, he lets you in. He dives in himself to meet you, finding yourself standing before his Seed.

You’re examining it closely, hands hovering over but not quite touching the shining sphere. You turn to face him, and your eyes widen.

He looks down at himself at your cue, and finds that pieces of him are _burning brightly._ Not causing harm, Fire can never cause him harm, but in its stead it’s pulsing, flaring and dying over and over again, trying to rouse his anger with each beat.

You approach him, and hesitantly reach out your hand to his. He is reminded that this is the first time you’d been soul to soul since he’d cauterized you, and he’s hesitant to touch you again. But you offer your hands out in front of you, and will him to take them, that you’re _unafraid._

So he slides his hands into yours, and you close your eyes and concentrate. He feels your soothing aura soak into him, as the calming essence of Water permeates through his soul. His eyes train on his Seed as you work, at the faint azure glow that starts to glow from deep inside. The piece of your soul inside him, shining brighter and brighter as he watches, as you work your influence over him until he’s calming.

He looks back down at himself, at those sparks he’d not even known existed inside of him. One by one they go out; extinguished forever. He feels the irrational _anger_ at the back of his mind start to leave, until it’s gone completely when the last one goes out.

He looks back into your eyes, at the _relief_ he finds there, and follows you as you head back outside.


	49. Chapter 49

He comes back out of himself with a gasp. 

He’s still resting nearly on top of you from his position slumped over the back of your chair. He groans and tries to move, but is unable to get up- the most he can do is turn his head to look at you.

Your awareness comes back to your eyes, and the relief is still shining through. You wrap his limp arms around your middle, covering them with your own, and then rest your cheek against his as he recovers from whatever the Wizard had done to him.

Said Wizard is watching them carefully. He had been tense, at first, until he’d apparently sensed you were under control again, and his posture eased. Now he just stares curiously at your contact, and is visibly restraining himself from starting his questions until you’re both well enough to answer.

Eventually feeling starts coming back to his body, starting at the tips of his fingers and toes. The restriction tightly binding his core slowly recedes, and he grits his teeth as the unpleasant pins and needles spread all over his body. But he’s soon able to move his hands and lift his head, so he bears with it.

The Adult brings his chair over and gestures him into it when he gets feeling back into his legs, and he gratefully sits when he can move to do so- the back of your chair digging into his ribs was really hurting. You move your chair around to sit next to him as he recovers, and he takes your hand again to enjoy the feeling you send into him at every touch.

No point hiding it now; the Adult has already seen it.

You grip him back tightly, watching as he regains control over his limbs, pouring as much reassurance into him as possible. He just closes his eyes and embraces the feeling as he waits.

Before long he’s feeling better and sits up, no longer slumping against the back of the chair, but not quite feeling up to standing again just yet. The Adult is fine with that apparently, as he’s standing squarely in front of you both, arms crossed, and with excitement shining in his eyes.

“How?” He demands suddenly, desperately. “How are you touching? You haven’t yet created your Blossom, and _you_ still clearly have your Seed. So, why are you still alive??”

He starts pacing back and forth, rambling to himself as he waits for your answer- how _helpful_ it would be if he could figure out how to negate the threat to your kind as subadults come of age, and what they could do if they no longer had to thrust new adults into the wide world with little preparation and warning, _and-!_

You cut him off there, before he gets too far into his imaginings. “We’re Soulbound, is why. My void doesn’t want to hurt him anymore. It would still go after other Seeds, if it could.”

The Adult stops comically, mid-step and cape flaring around him, as he looks over at you with _devastation._

He slumps, as all his excitement visibly drains from him, and he sighs dejectedly.

He almost feels bad for the guy.

\----------------

Getting all the requisite questions out of the way - such as _why is there a subadult out here to begin with,_ which he hastily dodges with some excuse about his make-believe Adult temporarily leaving (which may or may not be true, if his Sire ever decides to come to the Valley again) - they eventually circle back around to their original reason for visiting, and his reaction to it.

“We’re sorry, again, Adult Rasmodius, for the near disaster we just caused. His element is Fire you see, and he has been having difficulty controlling it recently.”

The Adult looks over him and thinks, before saying, “Fire is close enough to Lightning at times; I am well aware of the difficulties they face. What has happened recently? Did you come into contact with an out-of-control blaze?”

“Ah…” He starts, speaking slowly to hopefully help maneuver his way around the ignorant faux pas, “Yes… I had to convince a flare-up to stop; and to prevent it from resparking _again,_ I had buried the remnants inside my soul. Is that what was causing my anger?”

“Most assuredly.” The Wizard said with conviction, nodding. “Odd that you wouldn’t already know this, however.” He looks at him with suspicion.

He winces, and decidedly says nothing more. He looks at you from the corner of his eye, and you notice and take over.

“He… hadn’t had much opportunity to try controlling it, way out here in the Valley. Surrounded by greenery, you understand. The first major event was that one, not long ago. He’d not come across such a thing before.”

The Wizard stands tall, and frowns down in disapproval at him. _“Regardless_ of never personally experiencing it, _any_ member of our kind should know _everything there is to know_ about their own element, even _before_ subadulthood. One doesn’t just _forget_ such important facets of our alignments!”

He can only stare down at the ground, and say nothing. He wanted to defend himself- how could he _forget_ if he _never learned about it_ in the first place?

But he couldn’t, so he could only purse his lips to keep quiet, and hope you could dig him out of his mess.

It’s for naught, however, as when you open your mouth to speak, Rasmodius cuts the air with his hand in front of you, glaring at you both. “I wish to hear from _him,_ not you. Let him speak for himself, girl!”

You can only close your mouth and look back at him, apologies in your eyes.

He’s resigned, but doesn’t blame you. You did what you could.

“The truth is…” He starts, still speaking slowly and not daring to look the Adult in the eye. “...I’ve _never_ known the aspects of my alignment. My Adult couldn’t teach me more than the bare minimum, and I left the island long before I received schoolfeeding on it. Coupled with never having the opportunity to practice out here, well…” He trails off, hoping the Wizard will come to his own conclusions.

He can feel the scowl still directed at him, but doesn’t- no, _can’t_ say anymore without giving himself away as _unnatural._ He can only hope that what lies he came up with was something close to the truth.

It’s enough, it seems, as the Wizard standing menacingly above them just gives an abrupt sigh of disbelief.

“Well, for your own safety, and _ours_ I might add, I suppose I’ll have to teach you."

He snaps his head up, eyes wide, as he looks at the older male in astonishment. 

He'll have someone teach him how to control his _Fire..?_

He tries to clamp down on his enthusiasm before it gets out of hand, ducking his head to try and hide the grin overtaking his face. 

"Don't try to hide it boy; it's terribly obvious you've been looking forward to this opportunity. Though why you'd never approached me before for guidance is beyond me…"

The Wizard just moves away, grumbling under his breath, to his bookshelves at the back of the room. He searches through them for a while before pulling one off the shelf and returning to hand it to him carefully.

“I don’t have time to go through _everything,_ schoolfeeding you like a Child. You will have to read through this yourself, and I will visit you at dawn every day to test your progress. Do your best not to set the place on fire when I show, will you?”

He scowls at him, but moves on once Sebastian nods his head eagerly, holding the book tight to his chest.

“As far as your Shadow problem, come back tomorrow and I will escort you to meet him- I would take you now, but it’s Friday, unfortunately, and he has taken a vow of silence until midnight. I will inform him of our coming later.”

You both thank him profusely for his help and his guidance, and he asks you to leave in response- he has work to do and he’s wasted enough time on this tomfoolery.

You’re both kicked out before he knows it, door slamming shut and locking behind them. He supposes he’s just the _tiniest bit annoyed_ that there’s so much more on his plate now, with nothing to show for it...

But he grins wide, and can’t help but be excited anyway.

\----------------

You and Sebastian stop back at your farm, thankfully avoiding any more interactions on the way back. He was near vibrating the entire way home, glancing down at the book in your lap over and over as he steered you through the trees.

You were tempted to look on the way back, but figure that might’ve been a bit cruel when he was so obviously excited behind you. That and if you did, you might not ever make it home- he giving up on trying and just starting to read on the forest floor.

But he manages to get you to the top of your porch steps and inside the door, before he hastily closes it behind him and sinks down on your single chair in the room. You wheel up to the table and carefully set the book on top.

It’s one you hadn’t seen for a long time- you barely remember it from your own Childhood schoolfeeding. He’d obviously chosen one that had a low level of comprehension needed… why did he even have such a thing in his home?

But the title read: “Elements and you: A guide on how to control your alignment(s).”

Simple enough. It even had stylized pictures in it.

You flip past the section on Water, already knowing all about it by heart, and stop on the second to last section- Fire.

Sebastian leans forward eagerly, reading over your shoulder.

_“Fire is a chaotic element that’s hard to control, but once mastered can be considered one of the most destructive. It was used to often sweep the battlegrounds of old, incinerating everything in its wake.”_

Ah, you’d forgotten how _direct_ your Childhood schoolfeeding was. No hand-holding and sugar-coating here; just the plain, direct truth.

_“Children of Fire often find themselves in a rage, as they come to terms on how to handle their Element. The more they interact with Fire the more it infuses their soul, and the harder it becomes to control. However, they must continue until they have their moment of epiphany, and the Fire surrenders. It is described as an extreme, constant battle of wills.”_

You look up at Sebastian as he reads, absorbing everything as gospel. You think perhaps it wasn’t the best idea to extinguish the sparks in his soul, if it was part of the normal mastering process. But what else could you do? A chain reaction in the Spire was sure to end up with all of them in smoke, _quite literally._

_“There will be periods of intensity, which may flare up at any moment. Fire flares and dies over and over again, and can do either with very little prompting. It is recommended for Children of Fire to be on their own during their mastery, as it can be very dangerous to others and their surroundings.”_

Hmm. You suppose you should separate him from his family then, during this period. But how? And for how long? His wellspring is there, and he will certainly need access to it if he’s going to be expending so much aether every day trying to control it. 

You wouldn’t mind him living at your place, but with Morrisonia around you can’t keep him there forever without being discovered. Not to mention your wellspring is far inferior to his, and you still want to use part of it to nourish your crops.

And you wouldn’t want him practicing here and risking another blaze, either. 

Perhaps he should be here during the day and only go home at night to replenish himself, and do his best to avoid interaction with his family as much as possible? You’re not keen on this option though, seeing how out-of-control he’d gotten at his stepfather already, at the bare beginning of his mastery.

The only choice is to go replenish himself at the Spire then, unless there was a fourth option that hadn’t been discovered yet. You rather doubt it though- such generous wellsprings are few and far between.

Your eyes skip over the next line, _“The aspects of Fire include Death, Destruction, Rage, Cleansing, and Healing. Many think that Fire only possesses the former, and forget about the latter- but like any element, it depends on how it is used. Life cannot exist without warmth.”_

Fair enough. Trying to grow anything in Winter will be a hassle. Maybe you can have Sebastian keep the ground warm, if he’s to that point…

_“There is little actual guidance one can give about how to control Fire. Unlike the smooth flowing control of Water, or the steady unrelenting force of Earth, the unpredictable nature of Fire is different for everyone. The closest in alignment is Lightning, but even that can be somewhat predicted at the start and end of the bolt, as it takes the path of least resistance._

_“Fire, however, requires each individual to grasp its nature on their own. This process can take decades to achieve, depending on multiple factors, not least being perseverance. The only tip the author can recommend is to always aspire to be calm, cool, and collected, and it will be easier to resist its chaotic nature.”_

Well, that was decidedly unhelpful in actually _teaching_ anything useful. But at least it went over the basics.

You like to think Sebastian is already calm and collected most of the time, so perhaps he understood somewhere, deep down, that that’s what he needed to do to survive.

You look at him as he sits there, thinking over the information, and wait for him to speak.


	50. Chapter 50

He sits there quietly for a while, but in the end he doesn’t voice his thoughts.

He picks up the book and continues flipping through it, looking at the other elements. You don’t interrupt, just wanting to watch him. 

The book stops on your section, Water, and he reads through it as carefully as he had his own. You don’t bother to read along with him, already long ago having memorized everything about it.

He flips through to the others, only giving mere glances, though stops longer on Earth - Linus had offered to give him guidance on it apparently, and he was interested, though you caution not to try both at the same time - and also stops on Shadow. He stares at it for a long time.

You ask him if it’s something he feels attuned to, but he declines. You’d already tested him for Shadow, and he had no draw or manipulative ability with it. But it felt _familiar_ nonetheless, and he was trying to figure out why.

You take your best guess and say, “Well, you live under your house- it must be pretty dark down there, right? And you also wear a lot of black… Honestly I’m not sure I could see you at all at night, if you wore your hood up and hid your hands. You seem pretty comfortable in Shadow, even if it's not your element.”

He thinks it over and nods, deciding that must be the reason why. And that he also likes to be out at night, rather than during the day.

“True, you hated Light with a passion. Makes sense you’d be more familiar with Shadow instead. Could be something you can master in the future, if you wanted to!” You smile at him, and he grins back.

He laughs and says, “Does make me wonder how that would work though- Fire and Shadow seem to be polar opposites, don’t they?”

You chuckle and agree. Though you think that Fire _would_ shine more brightly in the dark. You think it could end up being a good support for his main element, with a bit of ingenuity.

“So,” You begin, sighing and tapping your finger against the book, now back open on the table. “The section on Fire wasn’t particularly helpful, I don’t think. What about you? What were your thoughts?”

He frowns at the book and sits back in his chair, crossing his arms. “I’m just grateful I now know _why_ I’ve been acting the way I’d had. Being so _angry_ wasn’t like me- I’d always been able to smother my ire before, even if it took a little effort. Now that I know why it’s happening, I think I’ll have better control of myself.”

He frowns harder, and says, “I’m not too thrilled, though. I get the feeling I’ll be blind to my surroundings while I battle for control inside, and I have no idea what will happen if my family tries to interrupt while I’m in there. They could get hurt. I can understand why it says to separate from others, but… I don’t think that’ll be possible.”

You nod in agreement, and go over the options you thought of earlier. None of which you’re particularly happy about, but if it’s for his safety…

“And I don’t want to be separated from them for _decades_ either. I’ll be trying to get this done as soon as possible, so I don’t think staying here would be my best option.”

He smiles apologetically at you, but you weren’t offended- it’s the truth, your land wasn’t _nearly_ the best thing around, especially not for a crash course in aether control.

You nod in agreement. “We’d best ask Rasmodius if it would be alright to use the land around his Spire, then. But with all those experiments he has going on… it already draws _a lot_ of aether. He might refuse. And then we’d be stuck with your home… and I’m not certain about you staying there by yourself. The first step in your journey almost had you drawing blood. I think I’d need to go stay there with you, just in case, and I’m not sure how that will be possible.”

You both frown, staring into nothing and thinking. An idea comes to mind, and it’s not one you like, _at all_.

“I suppose…” You start reluctantly, and Sebastian looks up at your almost-questioning tone. “I suppose the mines would be a good place for you…”

He grimaces, and tries to reject the idea immediately. How would he even get down there? He was _not_ jumping again, especially not _every day._

“You wouldn’t have to. The only thing wrong with the elevator was that it had no power- easily solved if Rasmodius donates some Lightning. You could go down there to practice every day, and you wouldn’t have to set bonfires everywhere too. Win-win. Plus, the monster-filled environment might also help you master it faster, if only because of the heightened danger. All in all… it seems like the perfect solution.”

He can’t refute your logic, so he sits there with a sour look on his face.

“So, you’ll be able to practice _and_ replenish yourself in the fire aether down there, so that solves both of those problems. The question is, where will you be going to sleep? I’m still not happy with you heading home, and I wouldn’t want you to sleep down _there_ either, not if you don’t have someone to guard you as you slept. I doubt Rasmodius is going to do that, and I’m not healed enough yet to go down. So that leaves…” You trail off, tentatively.

“Leaves… what?” He asks curiously.

“Well, three options, as far as I can see. One, traveling all the way back to the Spire to Rasmodius, which you’d no longer need if you’re to replenish your reserves while in the mines…”

He shakes his head, not pleased at the couple hours of travel he’d have to do, each way, _every day_ to accomplish that. Especially if he wouldn’t need to.

“Two, sleeping at the entrance of the mines, or perhaps in the Guild hall…”

He grimaces at both of those thoughts. Getting angry at the experienced monster hunters would be a bad idea, if they’d even let him stay there, and he’s not keen on sleeping on hard stone for who-knows-how-long.

“Or…” You stop, hesitantly. At his gentle prodding, you blush a little bit, but manage to say, “Three… you can officially move in, here. With me.”

\----------------

His mind blanks out at the offer. Moving into your home, as an official couple in the mind of the town. Solidifying your relationship in the minds of his _family._ Of his _Mother._

He’s… not against the thought.

Quite likes it, actually.

But it’s _very soon,_ just after having presented the bouquet to you. Jumping from _dating_ to _living together_ is a big step in the eyes of such a small town. Rumors would start flying _immediately,_ and he’d already had one person call your integrity into question.

Having to deal with the entire town thinking such would definitely flip him over the edge.

“What about Morrisonia, though?” He asks, thinking of another potential obstacle. “And the town? They’ll for sure think you’re _pregnant_ or something if we move in together so fast.”

“Then we don’t tell them. Not now, at any rate. Your family will just think you’re sleeping with me, _which they already do,_ and so long as you show your face around them once in a while - with my assistance, of course - and pretend you’re still living there, then in everyone’s minds _nothing_ has changed.”

He’s getting more and more convinced this is a good idea, but he still has a couple concerns.

“As far as Morrisonia… well, thankfully I have my phone now, so we can coordinate his visits. And if you’re coming in late at night, you’ll miss any evening he _does_ come by. We’ll just have to do our best to dissuade any early morning meetings, so he doesn’t pop in before you leave.”

Just the one concern left, then.

“And…” He starts, pausing for a moment before _very obviously_ looking you over. You seem to get the message, but just to be clear, he makes himself say, “And what would the sleeping arrangements be..?”

You fidget, and blush. “I… don’t think I’d be able to get another bed in here; it would be too suspicious. But having us both in the bed at once would be, well…”

“Very _tempting.”_ He finishes for you, and you nod.

“We should avoid that, as much as possible. But I’m not sure how, exactly. Would you have any ideas?”

He thinks what they can possibly do to avoid sharing a bed. Cushions? A sleeping bag? A hammock outside?

 _No,_ to that last one, absolutely not. He wants to be _near you,_ not stuck outside somewhere in the cold.

“Maybe we can buy a couch from my Mom?” He suggests. “That’s a normal purchase to make, right?”

“I still haven’t made any gold though; I can’t afford something pricey. And I _won’t_ take money from you, so don’t even offer.”

“I’ll move in mine, then.” He declares, staring intently at you. “Surely they wouldn’t object, if we needed somewhere we could both comfortably sit and hang out, right?”

You think for a moment, then nod at him. He supposes that makes their decision, then.

He’s moving in with you.

\----------------

You both decide he’ll borrow his Mom’s truck tomorrow to get it down to your home. For now, with the sparks no longer inside him fueling his anger, he’s in no rush to get it done today.

After all, it was _Friday,_ quickly approaching evening. He had prior commitments to attend to.

At his request, you agree to join him at the Saloon, saying you figure you’ve put off meeting everyone long enough. He’s a bit nervous, what with the entire town knowing you’re an _item_ now, and also knowing how big a deal both his friends are going to make out of it…

But he’s too over-the-moon to really care. They can gossip all they like; it doesn’t change that you’re _his_ now, and there’s nothing the single males in the town can do about it.

He’s rather pleased at that thought.

So, he turns his back to you after you pick out a ‘dressy’ outfit to wear so you can change in relative privacy. Though he was tempted to go outside and watch you in the reflection, he figures he shouldn’t tempt himself, especially so soon to having to leave. He also protests that what you’re wearing is already very nice and you don’t have to change, but you insist.

As he looks down at the same outfit he wears every day, he can’t quite wrap his mind around it- having to change perfectly good clothes just because you’re going out somewhere.

Well, whatever.

At your call he turns back around, to find you’ve got two shirts on and you’re throwing a different hoodie over your head. What in the world…?

“To try and hide _the ladies_ if they decide to get a bit perky tonight. I can’t wear a bra at the moment, so hopefully three layers will make do.”

At your reminder that you weren’t wearing a bra, he can’t help his eyes darting down to your longer skirt, covering what he knows is your bare mound. He looks away and swallows.

You catch his look and a slight blush crosses your cheeks. “That, well… I can’t actually reach forward enough to put those on. I’m not fond of going out to meet others without them though…” You frown, perhaps rethinking your decision to accompany him outside.

He frowns too, not wanting to go alone now that you’ve agreed to go with him. He can control himself, right..?

So, he offers to help you. Just up enough for you to grab and situate them yourself.

He’s looking away as he says it, not daring to peek at a single bare bit of skin on you as his mind starts rapidly misfiring. How is he meant to live here if he can’t even think of your _underwear_ without getting hot?

After a moment, you bashfully thank him and agree. To be on the safe side, you have him kneel down in front of you and ask him to close his eyes before you take them out.

He does so, taking his time getting on his knees at your feet. He looks up and sees you above him, and he feels as if he’s about to obey your command, as if you were a queen and he, your loyal servant.

A flush washes over his cheeks, and he obediently closes his eyes immediately when you ask. Yoba, he didn’t know he had these kinds of inclinations about himself…

He shivers as you place the cloth into his outstretched hands, and direct him to go over your cast first. He finds it easily, looping the circle of cloth over the bulky material, and pulling it up to about mid-shin. He feels for the other half and reaches out for your other leg, to help maneuver it into position.

He feels your soft skin brushing under his fingers and can’t hold back a shiver racing down his spine. He hopes you don't notice.

Then both your legs are through, and he gently pulls them up your legs to your knees. That probably would’ve been enough, but he convinces himself going up a bit _higher_ would probably be easier on your ribs, and his hands start inching up to mid-thigh…

Your hands cover his just before he gets there, and he lets out a shuddering sigh of disappointment, but lets go when you lightly tug the cloth out of his hands. He savors the feel of you under his palms for a moment before he pulls himself away, to continue kneeling at your feet until you’re done.

You call his name, and he opens his eyes to look up at you. You, too, have a bright blush painting your cheeks, and he has to look away from you before he gives into temptation to kiss the inside of your knee.

He clears his throat and slowly gets to his feet, trying not to stare so obviously at you, as he tries _so hard_ not to imagine peeling those clothes right back off you again.

You’re both ready to go now, so he takes in a deep, bracing breath, and moves to start pushing you out the door.

Out into the open, and into safety.


	51. Chapter 51

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hurray, it broke 100k words!

It takes them no time at all to reach the Saloon, even when having to maneuver around _those bloody potholes._ You swear to Seed that you are going to take care of those at some point, or _die fucking trying._

You’re a bit early in the evening, but you’re okay with that- you’d rather _not_ be stared at by most of the town when you enter. You both wave at Gus and then you’re directed into the attaching Arcade room to wait for his friends.

You settle yourself against the wall, and he takes the armchair next to you, both facing the entrance. You wrap your fingers between his and he startles for a second, before squeezing and relaxing into your grip.

“Is this alright?” You ask concerned, eyes darting down to your shared grasp. “Would you rather not show affection in front of others?”

He smiles softly at you and shakes his head. “No, it’s alright… I’ve just never been a very _touchy_ person, so for a moment it took me off guard. I _like_ being touched by you, though. Not everyone else still, so you’re the only exception.”

He grins brightly at you, and brings the back of your hand up for a kiss. You smile back at him with warmth in your eyes.

“Oooooooooooh~” Suddenly came from the doorway, and he snaps his head forward to see who made it. It was a younger woman with bright purple hair, staring at them both with a happy but teasing grin on her face. Another mundane was just behind her, a younger man with fluorescent yellow hair that seemed to defy the laws of gravity, staring wide-eyed at both of them in excitement. 

Sebastian just sighs in resignation, then sits up straight to face them head on. He subtly squeezes your hand again with a small smile to let you know it’s okay; he’s not embarrassed to be seen with you.

Almost surprisingly, the man got to them first. You’re not sure how the woman didn’t get trampled in his haste, but she somehow managed. You guessed she was used to it.

He stares excitedly at your shared hands for a moment longer, then bodily _hauls_ Sebastian to his feet and grips him in a tight bear hug, almost lifting him off the ground. Sebastian gives a dramatic groan and goes limp in his arms, forcing the man to let go of his dead weight, though he tries valiantly to hang on to the subadult as long as possible.

He slumps back down into the chair once released, and his hand takes yours once more. “Here we go…” You see him mouth at you with a wry smile.

The man starts throwing rapid-fire questions at your companion while gesturing wildly with his arms and glancing over at you every few seconds. You’d almost be intimidated by his frantic motions, except for the warm excited smile on his face assuring you he means no harm.

Meanwhile, the woman approaches you and sticks her hand out to shake yours, business-like except for the smirk on her face and the glimmer of humor in her eye. Your right hand is currently being gripped by Sebastian, so you instead lay your left hand over hers and give a brief squeeze.

She snorts when she realizes her error, then just smiles wide at you and squeezes back before releasing your hand.

“Hello,” You start politely, “It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Lily. You are Abigail, if I am correct?”

She nods back at you, eyes darting briefly over to where Sebastian is still being waylaid by the man. You don’t think you’ll be getting him back anytime soon, so you turn your full attention back to the woman after giving his hand a reassuring squeeze.

He grips yours back almost desperately.

“Yea, that’s me. Call me Abby though- I don’t like my full name.”

She looks over your form, and specifically lingers on your broken leg.

“We… heard you screaming, that night.” She starts, a frown twitching briefly across her face. Concern? Annoyance? “Pierre’s my dad; we live right next to the clinic. What happened, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Well, we’re just going to jump right into the hard stuff then. At least Sebastian had warned you she’d be like this.

“I had an accident in the mines,” You say simply, and the woman’s eyes widen in response. “I… fell, to put it in brief terms, from a very high place apparently. I can’t quite remember what happened, but I do know that Sebastian helped me get out.”

You’re not sure why she seems surprised- surely the entire town would have heard what had happened by now. “What’s wrong?” You ask, suspiciously.

“Nothing!” She says quickly, glancing back down to your leg again with a sad frown. “Just… I’ve always wanted to go explore the old mines. Now…”

You understand. She’s scared now to go in. You decide to reinforce the idea, since you and Sebastian plan to use the place soon. You don’t need any mundanes stumbling across as he tries to practice.

“They’re very dangerous,” You say steadily. “I was being extremely careful and hadn’t even run into any monsters, and still this happened to me. I can’t imagine what would’ve happened if something came across me as I lay there, bones broken and bleeding out. I’m really fortunate that I’m here now; that people were around to help me.”

She stares at you, eyes wide, then looks at the ground for a long moment. Her posture slumps in surrender, and you’re pleased that you’ve gotten through to her, though maybe you laid it on a little thick.

She turns to face Sebastian instead though, and you do as well- you admire the side of his stoic expression as he just waits out the excited gesturing beside him. That man had limitless energy, apparently.

“Sebastian,” She cuts effortlessly into their conversation, and both males turn to face her. You envy her ability. “Why were _you_ in the mines?”

“Already starting in on it, huh?” He says with a scowl, but she’s unbothered by it. “I was just exploring. Got a nasty cut from a rock crab and was on my way out when I heard her fall.”

You hadn’t realized he’d been injured when he was fighting his way out of the mines. You look him over with a worried expression on your face, but he just smiles back at you.

“Just exploring, huh…” She says, lips twisted into an expression you can’t quite decipher. “You know I’ve been wanting to go in there, and you didn’t take me? What, were you looking for something _special_ in there?”

You’d almost think she was upset by her words, but her face regains her previous teasing grin, and she props her hands on her hips. Sebastian’s face twitches in response before he looks decidedly away from her. “Nope.” He responds shortly. “Just got curious. Was entirely coincidental I was there and able to help.”

Her grin slowly widens, becoming fox-like in its mischief. You’re becoming _very amused._

She takes in a breath and opens her mouth, but Sebastian cuts her off- _“Just drop it, Abs.”_

Her breath escapes in a huff, but with a smile on her face. She turns back toward you with a grin.

“Hey Lily, did you know that Seb slept outside the clinic that night? I saw him passed out against the wall the next morning. I guess he liked you even then, huh?”

Sebastian jumps to his feet, blush covering his face, and Abigail dances backward away from you both, grinning madly. You can’t help but laugh at their interaction. He looks down at you with a betrayed look on his face, so you tug at his hand until he’s sitting again, then gesture for him to come closer to you.

He leans in, embarrassment still flooding his cheeks, and you untangle your hand from his to rest both on either side of his face. He glances at the others when he realizes what you’re doing, but doesn’t pull away, so you take it as permission.

You wrap your arms around his neck and press your lips against his with a slight smile. He relaxes against you after a moment, his own hands cupping your cheeks. You slide one hand into his hair at the back of his neck, gripping lightly, and he relaxes into you even more.

You break the chaste kiss after a moment, still smiling, and gaze at him with affection. You see his love reflected back in his eyes.

“Well, it’s a good thing I liked him even back then, too.” You belatedly reply to Abigail, glancing briefly at her shocked expression. It sobers quickly as her eyes dart between you two.

After a moment you release your hold on Sebastian, and gently lean away. It seems he wants to follow after you and resume the kiss, but he eventually leans back into his own chair, just gripping your hand tightly again.

The teasing look in her eyes has faded, and she just looks between the two of you sadly. You are suddenly _extremely certain_ that the woman before you had feelings for your companion.

You feel a spark of jealousy deep in your soul, but smother it calmly as you smile at her with a hint of pity in your gaze. You understand why she’d be interested, but he’s _yours_ now, and you’re not giving him up.

She just smiles back a bit painedly, before returning to her previous demeanor, straightening up with an easy expression covering her face. It seems she’d been hiding her feelings for a long time, if she was able to recover so quickly.

She excuses herself over to the nearby arcade machine, back to all of you, and inserts some tokens. Her attention seemingly becomes focused on the screen in front of her, but judging by how badly she was playing, you think maybe she wasn’t quite all there.

The two males beside you don’t seem to think anything of it- neither her borderline rude abandoning of the conversation, nor her abysmal playing skills at the controls. You wonder how often this happens.

The man gives you no time to think, however, as he takes his chance to step up and greet you.

“Hi, Sebastion's Ladyfriend! I’m Sam- it's nice to finally meet you! I’ve heard aaaall about you~ I’m _Sebby’s best friend_ after all~”

His tone goes a bit sing-song halfway through, and you can’t help but smirk at him, especially when Sebastian goes stiff as a board next to you.

 _“Don’t call me that!”_ He hisses at his friend, swiping at him from his seat. The man just chuckles and allows it, shrugging unapologetically.

“Ow, fam, you wound me.” He snickers back, dramatically rubbing at where he was hit. “Whatever shall I do now? My brother, oh my brother…! He has murdered me!”

He theatrically falls to the ground, rolling back and forth and crying while holding his ‘injured’ side. You burst out laughing at him, mirth overtaking you completely.

Sebastian snorts as well, settling back into his seat and waits for his friend to regain his sanity. Before you know it, the man is kneeling directly in front of you, almost face-to-face, with a wide grin.

“Nice to meet you, Sam. You may call me Lily.” You laugh back. This one’s spirit is easygoing, and you get the impression that he goes with the flow in any situation. A bit sad underneath, perhaps, but otherwise cool and calm, when not hyped up on excitement.

You think perhaps, if he were of your kind as well, he’d probably share your aspect of Water.

That Sebastian’s Fire would match so well with Sam’s imaginary Water… well, opposites attract, you suppose. And perhaps that’s where Sebastian has learned to control himself so well.

You’re curious so you check just to be sure, but confirm that there’s absolutely no draw to either of his friends- they are entirely mundane humans. That he’s such good friends with them both has you relieved he will continue with their descendants in the future.

You look forward to the thought of match-making. You wonder with whom you could set them up with…

Sam notices your calculating expression darting between himself and the woman behind him, so you settle back into your chair with an easy smile. He looks at you with suspicion, so you say, “Well, Sam, tell me about yourself. Sebastian hasn’t mentioned you very much.”

His suspicion is immediately replaced with horror, as he looks at his best friend aghast. “Bro..?” He fake sniffles, then dramatically flops into Sebastian’s lap and begins ‘crying’.

Sebastian tries to push him off, but the man holds tight to his leg and ‘bawls’ into his thigh. He gives a long-suffering sigh, plants his foot into the center of the other’s chest, and gives him a swift kick off. The man lands on his back with an ‘oomph’.

“Aww…” You feel bad for him, and decide to tease your companion a bit more. “Don’t take it personally, Sam… we haven’t done a lot of ‘talking’ at home since he gave me those flowers. Not… _regular_ topics, anyway.”

Sebastian’s head snaps over to you and he stares incredulously, while Sam pops up onto his hands. His shocked expression quickly turns into absolute _glee,_ and his arms come up in front of him, shaking, as a whine quickly starts building in his throat.

“Now you’ve done it…” Sebastian mutters, then quickly sits as far back from him as possible, with both palms firmly planted over his ears.

You understand why, after a moment. You flinch as an absolutely ear-splitting _scream_ echoes throughout the building, quickly bubbling into cheerful laughter. More squeals quickly follow, and then he’s babbling out random words. Somehow you get his meaning anyway- _How- Oh Yoba- Please- I- Must- Know-!!_

He looks between you two and you chuckle back at his excitement. You put your palm up between you and Sebastian, and point at him through it with your other hand, giving Sam a wink.

“I’m going to the bathroom. I’ll be back in a bit. No, no, you don’t need to help Seb- please, _stay here_ and entertain your friend, would you?”

You roll out of the room laughing, as you hear Sebastian protest, getting physically _glomped_ behind you.

You pass Abigail on the way, and she gives you a small, happy smile, before turning toward the two males and cheering Sam on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love some feedback, if you all wouldn't mind :)
> 
> I feel bad about Abby. She's truly a lovely character, once you get past the rude opening. 
> 
> Plus, there's a mod where the other NPCs will progress their relationships, and one of the pairings is indeed Seb/Abby if you don't go for either of them. She even replaces you in his 10-heart event on the cliff. But I go for Sebastian every time, so I can't help but feel like telling her 'back off bitch, he's mine!'
> 
> The jealousy is real, folks. And over an imaginary character no less. I hope I'm not the only one.


	52. Chapter 52

His mood quickly sours once you’re out of the room.

He was able to put up with all the excitement and teasing from his two friends while you were there with him, and he could enjoy the feeling flowing from you at your touch. Sam was being overly  _ grabby  _ today in his excitement, but even that wasn’t too terrible with you beside him.

But once you’re out of sight, a familiar scowl crosses his face and he crosses his arms petulantly, refusing to answer any of Sam’s questions until he lets go. The puppy-man eventually notices and pulls back from him, sheepishly retrieving the hands tightly gripping his upper arms.

“Bro, bro- I need to know. Please please  _ please  _ tell me what she just said was the truth.  _ Are. You.  _ **_Actually_ ** _ -” _

_ “No  _ Sam, _ we’re not.  _ So get your mind out of the gutter, please.”

A look of utter devastation crosses his face, like the whole world was ripped out from under him. Oh Sam, your theatics…

Sam turns so Abby can’t read his lips, then smirks and says quietly, “Oh but you  _ wish to,  _ don’t you Seb?”

He feels his cheeks heating as the memories flood his mind, of you on your back with his face between your legs, as his tongue simulated what he’d  _ truly love  _ to do with you. He shifts in his seat at the thought and is drawn back to the present as Sam grins wider and laughs.

“I  _ knew it!”  _ He exclaims, standing up and throwing his arms over his head. “I  _ fucking knew it!  _ Oh my boy Seb, I’m so proud of you!”

Abby waltzes up to Sam and gives him a sharp jab in his exposed side, which makes him exhale sharply and lower his arms back around his middle defensively.

“You owe me for the bet now,” She says smugly, holding out her hand. “Pay up, scrub.”

Sam groans, but dutifully digs around in his pockets and counts out a sizable chunk to hand to Abby. 

He chuckles at Sam’s misfortune, until she turns on him and holds out her hand again. “You too, fucker. You promised to pay for the food and drinks tonight.”

He winces at the reminder, and Sam laughs at him as he digs into his own pockets. She remembered, damnit…

She grins at the huge mound of cash between the two of them, and heads out to the front counter to order their pizza, leaving the two of them alone.

Sam immediately plops onto the couch next to him, and leans forward with a serious but happy look on his face.

“That’s her, huh? I like her, fam. She’s good for you. Keep hold of her for a long time, yea?”

He’s got a mixture of feelings, but the most strong is  _ relief  _ and  _ contentment.  _ The thought of staying by your side for  _ a long time  _ is a very happy one for him, and it shows.

Sam grins wide and leans back against the sofa. “I can’t believe it bro, you actually managed to find someone. You weren’t interested in anyone out here, but despite all your resolutions to move to the city you didn’t  _ actually  _ show any desire to  _ go.  _ I thought you’d be alone for the rest of your life, stuck out here in the middle of nowhere.”

He frowns at the picture Sam paints for him, but can’t actually refute it. If you hadn’t come, that’s probably exactly what would’ve happened.

With the exception of him probably having to join Linus out in the woods somewhere, as the people around him visibly aged and he didn’t, and he’d have to go on the run to avoid being labeled a demon. He didn’t think the people of  _ his  _ town would burn him at the stake, but he wouldn’t put it past the rest of the Valley if news got out that an immortal, anti-social creature was living amongst them.

Particularly because if they tried, he’d be unaffected by the fire. He can imagine how well  _ that  _ would go down...

He just gives Sam a small smile, thankful for having him in his life. 

Then, gives him a hard punch into his upper arm with a scowl, this one aiming to actually  _ bruise. _

“Ow! What the fuck, fam? Why would you  _ do  _ that!?”

_“That’s_ for making a bet about me being _gay_ , you fucking asshole.”

"I was _supporting you!!"_ He protests back, rubbing his arm, pouting against his treatment.

They continue bickering until Abby re-enters the room.

\----------------

You had met quite a lot of people on your way to and from the restroom, and you were already getting their names a bit mixed up.

You meet Robin and Demetrius first, who are standing in the middle of the floor talking.

Robin immediately gives you a giant grin and a big hug around your shoulders, cheek on top of your head. The immediate warm welcome to your presence takes you a bit by surprise, but you sink into her embrace with a quiet hum of contentment until she pulls away. You miss the motherly feeling already.

Demetrius is more reserved, standing tall behind his wife as he watches you. You tilt your head at him and stare back, unblinking, remembering his insult to your character. You may have forgiven him for it, but you’re not about to forget it anytime soon. Against your wishes, the corners of your mouth twitch into a small frown and your eyes narrow slightly into a glare. You turn away from him and let out a long, slow breath to bring yourself back to calm.

You introduce yourself to him with a deadpan expression and a small wave, which he returns. Robin can feel the tense atmosphere between you two, and cuts in to ask how you’re doing at home? And if you need any help?

You smile up at her for the distraction but assure her that you’re doing quite alright with  _ Sebastian  _ there to help out, and you see Demetrius shift his weight in your peripheral vision. He doesn’t say anything, and you get the distinct impression the older man is nervous, and ashamed.

Good. You aren’t going to tolerate insults against  _ him,  _ even if you will for yourself.

You bid them both goodbye and continue on your way, looking around at all the people crowding around you.

Surly man in the corner, who was barely paying attention to the jabbering bright blue-haired Emily you’d just met the other day. Pierre at the counter, who stops you to ask how your crops were doing. You hope to harvest them soon, and he has a pleased look on his face at the thought.

You wheel your way past a table containing two older men. One smells of fire and metal, and wears an apron, named… Clint? He greets you politely, but quickly turns his gaze away, obviously awkward. As the local blacksmith, you promise to visit his shop to upgrade your Grandfather’s tools when you can, and he gives a happy smile at you.

The other older man is Willy, and he smells of the ocean. This instantly draws you to him and relaxes you. He runs a fish shop on the pier, and is desperate to keep the art of fishing alive- even offering you his old fishing rod to get you started, if you wanted it. Thinking of the Junimos request, you accept the offer, and he promises to send it to you in the mail. You thank him politely, and leave them to their drinks.

Next you pass by old Lewis, sharing a drink and staring into Marnie’s eyes. You try to get their attention by waving, but are summarily ignored. Judging by how enamoured they are, you guess they might be committed to each other, and wish them the best.

The last table on your journey contains two long-haired redheads, both of whom you thought were women at first. Turns out just the one- the other, dressed in a suit, greets you politely in a low male voice. Both artists in a sense, this Leah and Elliott, and they’d moved to the Valley just recently for their sculpting and writing respectively. You aren’t terribly interested in either of those things, but are envious they both have something they’re passionate enough about to pursue, and wish them both luck in their careers. They thank you, but you can see a bit of sadness in both their eyes. You suppose it’s rather difficult to make it in the mundane world as they are.

Lastly, you pass by the older woman with blond curly hair you’d seen on your first day, but never got the chance to introduce yourself to. You do now, before she gets too drunk- she’s tipsy already and is downing yet another glass, but grins at you and introduces herself as Pam. You don’t get much more out of her, and move on when she goes back to guzzling her beer.

Ah, exhausting… that wasn’t even the whole town you knew, but still, that was quite a lot of people to meet all at once. You take a moment in the restroom and enjoy having _proper facilities_ for the first time since moving out here, and refresh yourself with some tapwater splashed onto your face.

You take a deep breath and brave the masses to get back to your companion, and spy Abigail at the counter apparently waiting for some food. You offer to carry some for her, and she happily gives you some bottles of soda to carry in your lap as she balances the hot pizza boxes.

You notice surly man in the corner again, now alone and glaring into his beer. You remember how rude he was when you’d stopped him to ask for directions, but don’t hold it against him- his spirit shines sadly, dimly. And you  _ had  _ found Robin’s house easily enough with his help, so you owe him a gift for his favor.

You flag down Gus and hand over the last of your pitiful amount of gold, asking to send surly man in the corner some Pepper Poppers as a gift.

“Oh, for Shane? Certainly! He loves the things, but hardly ever gets them- prefers to spend it all on the booze. I’m sure he’ll appreciate it; thank you Lily for thinking of him.”

You nod back with a smile, and carefully follow Abigail back to the room.

This  _ Shane  _ seems to be in quite a bit of trouble. You’ll need to intervene  _ soon  _ if you want him to flourish.

\----------------

You return to the room to find the two males at the pool table, with Sam getting absolutely  _ rekt. _

Sebastian has a happy look on his face at his obvious winning streak, so you just smile and shake your head at them. Sorry Sam;  _ Sebby  _ comes first.

You place the soda down by the pizza on the makeshift box-table Abigail brought in. At her acquiescence you take one of the bottles, saying that Sebastian had paid for the meal this evening.

Well, in that case…

You take a few pieces of pizza, as well. Even if it’s not the healthiest thing in the world, you can still appreciate the taste. The cheese and tomato sauce flow over your tongue, and you close your eyes in contentment.

The males join you after one more  _ crack!  _ and a groan from Sam. Sebastian sits on the armchair again next to you, and Sam squeezes onto the couch next to Abigail.

You crack open your small bottle of Joja Cola and take a swig. Yep; just as bad here as it was back home. Almost nostalgic, in a way.

The rest of them get to bantering as they eat their food, and you observe the easy camaraderie between Sebastian and his friends. They go out of their way to include you in the conversation too, and you smile at them for their acceptance, but you’re mostly content to just sit back and watch them all be happy together.

Time flies, and it starts getting late. The pizza had been long gone, and Sam was complaining about being hungry again, to which Sebastian and Abigail just shook their heads.

A jingle from Abigail’s phone catches her attention, and she looks at it first with annoyance, and then amusement. She gets up and says she’ll be back in a minute.

You watch Sebastian suspiciously put his phone down, and he just grins sneakily back at you at getting caught, eyes darting toward Sam, so you bite your tongue and wait to ask what he’s done.

The yellow-haired male is completely oblivious to the exchange, just tiredly staring up at the ceiling. Sebastian reaches out and taps him with his foot, saying you both will be leaving soon, as it takes him some time to get you home.

Sam nods, and sits up. “Guess I’ll get going soon too, then. I’ll see you later fam.”

Your companion nods, and then gets up and stretches. You eye the flash of bare stomach only visible from your angle, and quickly look away before your thoughts take a downward turn.

...For as oblivious as Sam seemingly is, you notice he catches onto subtle sexual cues quite quickly, as he catches your eye as you look away from ogling Sebastian with a smirk.

You ignore him.

Sebastian bids Sam goodbye, and starts pushing you toward the exit. You pass Abigail holding another pizza box as you leave, loudly saying that Sebastian had just paid for one more pizza for Sam to enjoy.

You at first hear a happy gasp of surprise and a loud  _ Thanks Bro!!!,  _ to which Sebastian chuckles and quickly speeds away.

Just before the door closes behind them, a horrified screech rings out from inside, and Sebastian bursts out laughing.


	53. Chapter 53

He has you down the stairs and halfway across the plaza before he hears the Saloon door slam open and a _“How could you bro!?”_ in the distance.

“What did you _do!?”_ You laugh, looking back over your shoulder. He does as well and sees a shadowy figure shaking a fist at them as they make their getaway.

“You shouldn’t _ever_ mess with Sam’s pizza- he takes it _very seriously.”_ He chuckles back. “He insisted I take my vengeance upon him, so I did. I got him a pizza pineapple.”

“A… what now?”

He laughs harder, and explains that it’s a pineapple base acting as the crust, with cold sauce and pizza toppings on it. Probably _shaped_ like a pineapple too, just to add insult to injury.

“Oh my Seed, that’s hilarious. Poor Sam…” You say, giggling in delight.

He grins the sound of your laughter.

\----------------

He gets you home after full dark, so they flip on all the lights to stave off sleepiness and he settles you back onto your bed.

It’s still relatively early and he’s reluctant to end the day with you already, so, with your permission, he settles next to you on the bed and you set up your laptop with another movie.

He smacks his head at forgetting to bring anything with him today, but you just laugh and tell him to admit what you already had was _far_ superior. He refuses though, and swears he’ll bring some over with him tomorrow when he moves in the couch.

At the mention, you both go momentarily quiet, digesting the fact that he’d soon be living there together with you.

He’s… elated, if he’s honest with himself. But also still apprehensive- he can barely stop thinking of you as it is, when he’s _awake._ What will happen once you’re sleeping in the same room?

He can only pray that if he wakes up from another _intense_ dream, you’d be none the wiser. And that he wouldn’t be tempted to climb into bed with you, either.

He’s been successful so far at ignoring his impulses - _for the most part_ \- and he’s hopeful that the _h_ _eat_ will wear off soon. For yourself you’d said it took you four and a half days before you trusted yourself to come back out of hiding, so he hopes that he’ll also be over it by then if he can hold on.

Two days in... 

He _really_ hopes he can get himself under control soon. The sooner he masters his Fire and saturates his spark, the better.

But for now, he presses his side up against yours, and you enjoy another lame anime movie from your collection while he rolls his eyes.

Far too sappy.

But seeing the smile on your face makes sitting through worth it.

\----------------

You eventually have to send Sebastian home, having decided to let Morrisonia come over to 'help' you to ease his worry over you for a time.

He's as reluctant to go as before, but at least this time your soul accompanies him through the trees.

He smiles down at you as you hop and jump and flash from plant to plant. You also apparently give off a glow to him, and become a convenient light source for traversing through the forest.

Handy, that. Though you say you’re not sure how you feel about being reduced to a flashlight.

He just laughs at your comment, and gently strokes the backs of his fingers down your cheek with a smile. A faint azure blush infuses your cheeks, and you turn to keep going.

You phase through his grasp when he tries to catch you, and he dashes after you to keep up. You can’t hide from him, not in the darkness, so you don’t hold back your laughter as you keep just out of his reach.

He’s breathless and flushed by the time they get to his house, but with the biggest grin on his face from the chase. You stop in the trees just out of sight of his home, to give him a hug and a brief kiss on his cheek.

He wraps his arms around you gently and rests his cheek on your hair as he calms down. He’s sure he must look quite a sight, hugging seemingly nothing but air, and he’s glad for your forethought to hide.

Eventually he hears the voices of his Mother and Stepfather in the distance, leaves crunching and twigs snapping as they return from the Saloon, and he reluctantly parts from your embrace. You smile back at him, saying you’ll see him tomorrow.

You’re gone with no warning, not even your glow left behind, and he sighs and turns to trudge his way back toward home. He manages to get inside just before his parents, and he leaves the door open for them as he makes his way down to his room.

They don’t call out after him as he leaves.

\----------------

He’s down there for a few hours, until he finishes up the last of his projects and sends them off. Good, he replenished everything he’d been forced to spend that evening.

He stretches and glances at the clock, which is nearing midnight. He wasn’t quite sleepy yet, but knew he’d have to get up when the Wizard visited in the morning, so to try and tire himself out he decides he’ll go on a brief night walk around the lake. He looks at his cigarettes with a bit of longing but decides against taking them with- he’s trying to stop.

He’s not sure what they’d do to his lungs if he continued, but if they were to still kill him early, he’s sure not to appreciate being separated from you so soon. After all, that could be _hundreds of years,_ rather than a mere decade or two of human life.

No, he’s doing his best to stop _now,_ and hopefully halt any damage already done.

He takes his lighter with him though, as a source of comfort and light, should he need it. He won't be practicing, but it’s nice to have it on him.

So he slips on his shoes and quietly opens his door to ascend the stairs. He pauses halfway up, noticing a light at the top. Who’s still up at this hour?

He’s half tempted to go back and lay down and avoid whoever this is, being odds it’s not someone he wants to talk to… but with a sigh he continues up the stairs. He’ll be out of there soon enough; he can handle one more interaction on his own.

He doesn’t have the furious sparks at the back of his mind for now, so it’s the best time to get this over with.

Stepping into the bright light at the top of the stairs, he looks into where it originates- the Lab.

His Stepfather is there, tiredly finishing up some experiment or other he couldn’t care less about. He shifts his weight and deliberately makes the wood under his feet creak to get his attention.

He looks up and sees the younger man standing in the shadows deeper in the house, barely illuminated by the lights of the Lab. He starts for a second, then stays quiet, staring, until Sebastian takes a few steps forward and enters into the light proper, showing his face.

It’s a cautious expression, but has no hint of anger, and it causes the older man to relax.

“Good evening, Sebastian.” He says after a moment, still a bit stunned that the younger man took the initiative to approach him. 

“Hey.” He replies back, just standing there with his hands in his hoodie pocket, waiting.

“...Is there something you wanted?” Demetrius asks quietly, shifting uncomfortably under Sebastian’s stare.

He tilts his head in response and studies the older male for a long moment, until the latter clears his throat uneasily.

"An apology would be nice, but I'm not expecting one from you." He says plainly, no emotion in his voice giving him away. The older man frowns, but Sebastian continues speaking before he can interject, "I'm here to try and clear the air with you. I can see you're afraid of me now, and I don’t want you to be.”

“Our last conversation was… not the best, no. You really scared all of us with your… _aggressive demeanor._ How are we not meant to be wary of you now?” The man pauses for a moment, frowning in thought, then continues, “And I _do_ think I should apologize to you Sebastian. I didn’t mean-”

 _“Don’t.”_ He snaps, cutting his stepfather off. The older man flinches, and closes his mouth abruptly. _“Don’t lie to me._ You meant what you said. But it’s not _my_ place to choose to forgive you. If you truly mean your apology, you’ll give it to _her.”_

Demetrius merely purses his lips for a moment, before nodding. 

At his agreement, Sebastian consciously releases all the air in his lungs, and lets all the tension go with it. He’s calm again.

“I’m sorry I snapped at you just now, and for shouting at you yesterday.” He closes his eyes as he talks, not wanting to see his Stepfather’s reaction. “I’ve dealt with the underlying problem that was making me so irrationally angry. You set it off, but it had little actual to do with you, and I’m sorry you bore the brunt of that anger.”

“So… it won't happen again, you’re saying?” Demetrius has a frown in his voice as he asks. “How can I trust that?”

“You can’t. I’m going through some shit right now, and more is on the way. I’m going to be one moody fucker for a while, and I would appreciate it if you could try not to get into any arguments with me. I’ll be out of the house all day and will only come home to sleep. Plenty of space to avoid me until I’ve dealt with my problems.”

“What problems, Sebastian?” The older man asks, worry laced in his voice. “What’s making you so angry? Can’t we help you?”

It’s almost touching, the concern. It _almost_ makes him want to take him up on the offer. Maybe you had a point, after all... his Stepfather _does_ seem to care about him.

He opens his eyes and completely relaxes at the thought, and gives Demetrius a small smile.

“No, it’s not something any of you can help me with. But don’t worry, I’m not alone. Lily is there for me.” His spirits can’t help but lift at the thought of you, and he’s unintentionally beaming at Demetrius.

He realizes soon after, and clears his throat to wipe his happy expression away. His Stepfather just continues staring at him without saying anything, and soon it was _his_ turn to feel uneasy.

The older man nods suddenly, as if coming to a decision. “Alright, Sebastian. Please come to me, or _any_ of us, if you ever want our help. We’ll never begrudge you that. In the meantime… I’ll stay out of your way. Whatever you’re doing, whatever you’re working through right now… I hope that you get through it soon, and in one piece.”

He blinks, surprised at how _easy_ it was to get Demetrius off his back.

“...Thanks,” He says, and he means it. “That’s appreciated. I’ll let you know when it’s over. I hope it’s soon, too.”

He turns to leave. “I’ll let you get back to your work now. I’m going out for a night walk around the lake. You probably won’t see much of me starting from tomorrow, so tell Mom for me, would you? You can still reach me by phone at night, if you need me.”

He hears a noise of acceptance behind him, and he disappears into the shadows of the house.


	54. Chapter 54

You'd invited Morrisonia to come over that evening in the hopes that seeing you doing well _now_ would help convince him not to come over so often in the future. 

You're unhappy with the thought of putting Sebastian in danger of discovery, but what could be done? If he were to stay at his home during the learning process it's almost _guaranteed_ that someone would at the _very least_ be mauled if they got in his way. Not even his Mom would be safe. 

The thought of how devastated he would be if that happened, if _he caused it,_ is enough to put aside your misgivings. Even with the risk, it's still better he stays here, where you can calm him down if need be.

You can't say you're fully against him staying there with you- you feel how nice the touch between you is as well. He never wants to let go, but you're the same- the jagged energy flowing into you is warm, and invigorating, and _addicting._

But between the risk of discovery - and subsequent kidnapping - and the risk of you both giving into heat again…

The acts two days ago had already set you off. It's taking a _lot_ of willpower to resist thinking about him _all the time._ Any more temptation and you'll give in to your desires completely.

The mere thought causes the incessant tingling between your legs to get stronger, and you shift uncomfortably on the bed, the wetness between your legs getting more pronounced.

In an attempt to ignore your fleshly desires, you dive into yourself to instead watch the calming river of aether flow around your soul.

It's only mildly successful.

Feeling how little control you have over yourself makes you dispirited about the new living situation, even if you're somewhat pleased at the same time. 

You hope nothing will go wrong. 

\----------------

You're brought back to yourself by a knock on your door.

At your invitation it swings inward, revealing the Adult stepping into the brightness of your home.

From being invisible to being _there_ is a bit disorientating. Maybe you should invest in some outdoor lamps at some point.

As the bulb next to you flickers, you amend that thought- make sure the decades-unused wiring in your house gets properly fixed first.

He smiles at you, as you sit there obediently on the bed, and he holds up the bag of take-out containers in his hand. 

You clap your hands together and grin back, inviting him to join you for the meal. He accepts and sits down at your rickety table. He hands you yours, and flips open his own.

Eating so late at night is definitely going to hit you later, but you can't resist the delicious smell of Gus' cooking. You wonder how much better it will be once you provide the ingredients, and the thought is almost enough to drool over.

You and Morrisonia eat in silence, savoring the taste of your respective dishes, until your plastic fork is near digging into the styrofoam as you try and scoop up that last delectable bite.

He's done long before you are and just watches you with an amused shake of his head as you set your container down with a satisfied sigh.

"Better?" He asks, laughing quietly. "I'd think you'd never eaten something so good in your life, with how fast you devoured it!"

"You're one to talk; you finished faster than me!" You shoot back, snickering. He just smiles and shrugs dramatically. 

"So, what else can I help you with? I imagine it's difficult to move around in that wheelchair- any chores to be done?"

You wave your hand at him, denying his offer. "It's alright, thanks- it _is_ hard getting down the steps by myself, but I should hopefully have my crutches tomorrow, so that'll make things easier. I do need to harvest some crops soon, but I find they do better left in the ground a few days to soak up extra aether anyway."

He nods and looks out your window. The clouds have revealed a sliver of moonlight, and you note the sheer amount of wheel tracks you've left in the dirt over the last few days… and Sebastian's footprints as well.

You're suddenly very nervous, and hope he doesn't ask.

He glances at you as you stiffen, and then his eyes dart back to the flowers next to him.

"Your… friend… I take it, has been by to help you during the day. Could _they_ not have brought you food? Or did you just want to leech off of _my_ money?" He smirks teasingly at you, and your posture relaxes just the tiniest bit.

You don't want to be to be talking about your 'friend' though- you need to turn this conversation away _fast._

"Who's saying they haven't?" You smirk back, smugly. "I might've had quite a few people popping by recently. Though I won't deny I'd take free food from _you,_ too."

"Well, you've done it now- this one will be free, but any others I'm going to start charging you for, cheapskate."

You're fine with that- less reason for him to come by.

You pretend to pout at the threat though, and he laughs at your expression.

"Fine… I'll earn some gold soon enough. I'll pay you for any future deliveries." You say with a sniff.

"We all have to earn a paycheck at the end of the day…" He sighs sadly. "I'd best get going, there's another long day tomorrow. Good night, Liliana."

You bid him the same, and wave as he closes the door behind him, trash in hand.

You turn off the lights and settle back against your pillows, not wanting to lay down just yet.

You stare out your window into the inky nothingness, moon hidden yet again behind clouds, as you wait for sleep.

\----------------

The next morning he jolts awake suddenly in a panic, heart pounding and breathing heavy. He’s both _furious_ and _terrified,_ and his mind is in a daze until it wakes up enough to realize what’s going on.

He clamps down on his panic and takes a few minutes to calm himself before rolling out of bed. He glances at the clock- ugh, sunrise, right on time.

He throws his regular outfit on, yawning, but doesn’t have time to make coffee to wake himself up. He sleepily walks up the stairs and out the door before anyone else is even awake.

Rasmodius waits for him outside, arms crossed and scowling impatiently.

“Did you memorize your Element, then?” The Wizard asks as soon as he’s close enough.

He nods back, holding in another yawn, not wanting to be rude.

“Good,” His scowl softens a little bit, but he looks just as impatient as ever. “I’ll oversee your first practice, in case things get out of hand and you set the entire bloody forest on fire. You have a place in mind?”

He nods again sharply and takes off towards the mines with a jog, both out of eagerness and to wake himself up properly.

Yoba, if he’s going to be up at dawn every day for this, will he be taking up exercise too?

The horror.

The Wizard glides effortlessly after him on the wind, and he’s low-key impressed at the ability, and his don’t-give-a-fuck attitude if someone sees him. He guesses living up to the whole magical wizard shtick can really pay off.

He’ll have to convince himself _not_ to go down that path in the future, no matter how tempting. He doesn’t want to get run out of town.

They arrive at the mines quickly, and he ducks inside before Marlon or Gil see him. Unlikely they’d be up that early, but no use taking chances.

“Liliana and I thought that the best place for me to spend my time practicing is down in the Lava Caves. Less chance of being seen, and of… _forest accidents_ occurring. Our only trouble is that we can’t currently get down there on our own- the elevator has no power. Would this be something you could help with, Adult Rasmodius?”

The Adult scowls at him, and says he’s a bit offended that a powerful mage such as he would be reduced to _manual labor_ to fix a mundane’s machine. However, he can’t deny that being in the mines would be terribly preferable to anywhere topside, so he reluctantly agrees to help.

He approaches the machine, lays a hand on it, and closes his eyes. After a moment of silence, the subadult can’t help but ask what he’s doing.

“I’m feeling the pathways where electricity must run, boy. There’s no use just shooting lightning at the thing, if I don’t know where it goes- it could even damage it irreparably without guidance. _And,_ I wish to get this machine up _permanently-_ I have no desire to come out and get it working for you every day.”

Good point. He stands back quietly, and waits. The Wizard takes a few minutes more, but eventually he pulls his hand back and opens his eyes.

He releases a breath, then rubs his hands together roughly, quickly, until there’s sparking between them. It gets stronger and brighter, arcing between his palms, and then he slams both hands onto the metal door with a crash of thunder rumbling around the cave.

He claps his hands over his ears and feels the vibration go through him, and he clenches his teeth at the uncomfortable rumbling in his body, and through his heart.

Yoba, he wasn’t expecting that. He wasn’t aware it would be so _loud._

It would no doubt have damaged him, being so close to the blast, if the scattered lightning aether in the air wasn’t now surrounding him. He sucks it in as fast as he can, and uses it to repair and soothe his body.

The elevator light comes on with a _ding!_ and the doors pop open on their own, only giving a slight squeal with the one that had been forced open by you earlier.

The Wizard nods, satisfied, and enters the elevator. He follows after a moment, hand still pressed over his heart, soothing the ache found there.

He hadn’t thought palpitations could feel so _unnerving._

\----------------

They soon arrive at the 115th floor, and both sets of doors pop open.

He would’ve liked to go all the way down the bottom, where the heat is strongest, but didn’t much like the thought of your blood soaked into the ground directly under his feet, even if there were a layer of metal between them. So he decides he’ll only go to the next stop above, and climb down the ladders if he truly wants to get down there.

He can feel the pinpricks of aether moving around in the distance signifying monsters, with the occasional stronger one mixed in. They’re _everywhere-_ in front, below, above, in the cracks of walls…

No, he definitely wouldn’t want to let his guard down here, not without someone with him as he slept.

“Alright boy, let’s get started. You’ll need to first draw in as much Fire aether as you can stand, and then _expel_ it as actual _fire._ Once the blaze is in front of you, you must then try to _control it,_ and will it to obey, and to _stop._

“Unlike a fire aboveground, where it’s dependent on fuel to sustain its life, down here it will be surrounded by all the fire aether it could ever need. So it will rage, and rage, and _rage_ until you _convince it to die._

“Only when you’ve mastered that step, will we move on to the next. I won't lie- it's much more _dense_ down here than I was expecting. It would be much easier to do this elsewhere, and come back here when you’re more advanced. Do you still wish to continue?”

He nods. He’s a bit intimidated, especially after his last failure at getting a blaze under his control, but he’s more than willing to try. He’s _so far behind,_ and he wants to master this as soon as possible.

The higher the difficulty, the greater the reward. Right?

“Very well. Then let us begin.”

\----------------

He sits there cross-legged, eyes closed, focusing on drawing in the Fire aether all around him.

It’s so _easy._ It fills him so _quickly,_ and it’s so _comfortable…_ so unlike every other element he’d tried to absorb.

He wouldn’t mind being down here for hours at a time. Which is good, because he'll have to be. 

Gathering it into him until he's fit to burst, he tries to push it back out again as _fire,_ but all he manages to do is push the aether away. He frowns, and starts over- compressing the aether into a tighter and tighter ball inside him to fit more in.

He expels it again, and though again nothing happens, he feels he’s a bit _closer._ What would cause a fire to spark…?

He draws in as much as he can until he’s fully saturated a third time, and compresses it as much as possible. This time he holds on to it, thinking about how a fire begins, how it kindles to life…

He thinks of his lighter, and he pulls it out to examine it. He flicks it to life with practiced ease, over and over, studying the _how_ that he’d never bothered to notice before.

It doesn’t matter how much _fuel_ is in there, something _external_ is what sets it in motion. He has the fuel flowing through him. What would cause it to burn?

He focuses on his lifespark, his Seed- the glowing, flickering orange that’s constantly dancing inside of it now. Perhaps…

This time, when he expels the aether in his body, he _wills_ the Fire in his Seed to spark, to flare, to _ignite._ It stutters for a moment, him never giving it a _command_ before, before it surges to life, getting _stronger and stronger-_

The bright sphere glows, and a tongue of flame catches onto the wisps and follows it instantly to their source - the condensed aether he’d just thrust from inside - to _engulf_ and _consume_ it. The aether-fueled fire comes to life, and it dances hypnotically in front of him.

It is small- the size of his hand, really. Is this all he could do?

But it came from him, from _inside him,_ and by that virtue alone he was entranced. He reaches out his hands and cups the fire inside his palms, staring at it.

It hovers there, playful, flaring and licking at his hands, but he feels no pain. No, fire would never hurt him- _his fire_ least of all.

Rasmodius clears his throat, snapping him out of his daze. He blinks away the confusion in his eyes, and the dancing _beautiful_ flame in front of him becomes less _harmless,_ and more _menacing._

It wishes to consume everything around- even him, if it could. The fact that he was unharmed was by virtue of his alignment, and nothing more. If he were learning Fire elsewise, he’d be overtaken right now. He feels this truth in his soul.

This uncontrollable, all-consuming, almost _sentient_ Fire lashes out at him when he figures out its true intentions. He becomes angry back at its deception, and wills it to _stop._

It slows, but doesn’t listen. He isn’t yet _worthy_ to command such a treasure, and it knows. It will disobey him until the end.

All he can do is clench his teeth, and _keep trying._


End file.
